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a _a fc*.V 1l 



Chun Ti-kung 

H is Life and Adventures 

A Novel 


By / 

Claude A. Rees 



NEW YORK 


DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 


Copyright, 1896, 


BY 

DODD. MEAD AND COMPANY. 


CONTENTS 

PAI^T / 


Chapter 

I 

The Ancestral Coffin-shop . 

• 

II 

Country Mouse and Town Mouse 

III 

Bridegroofn and Sing-Song Girl 

IV 

From Shanghai to Hoochow 


V 

His Uncle the Tao-tai . . 


VI 

A Son to worship at his Grave 

VII 

Work and Play 

• 

VIII 

The Tao-tai tells Tales . . 

• 

IX 

In pursuit of Pirates . . . 

• 

X 

A Bloodless Victory , . . 


XI 

Muh Wanfs Treasure . . 


XII 

Uncle and Nephew .... 


XIII 

The Tao-tai adopts Chun . 


XIV 

Murder and Suicide . . . 


XV 

Glory and Honour .... 

• 

XVI 

Welcome and Farewell . . 

• 

XVII 

Over the Western Seas . • 

• 


vi CONTENTS 

PART II 

Chapter Page 

/ An English Maid 139 

II The East woos the West 15 1 

III A perilous Marriage 164 

IV First Misgivings 175 

V Disillusion 185 

VI The Fulfords 195 

VII The Clouds gather 205 

VIII An ill-fated Babe 216 

IX The Blow Falls 229 

X Churls unjortunate Delay 235 

XI Death the Helper 243 

XII Sorrow and Exile 252 


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PART / 


CHAPTEE I 

THE ANCESTRAL COFFIN-SHOP 

Chun Ti-kung’s father, Chun Se-fei, kept one of 
the most popular coffin-shops in a good-sized village 
called Pa-li Kiao, not far from the Foo City of Chow- 
shing in the Province of Chekiang. Pa-li Kiao, being 
interpreted, means a bridge eight li distant from some 
more important town. 

Chun Ti-kung’s father had been for years gradually 
putting by coin from his system of investing largely 
in planks of wood when cheap, and these in almost 
every year gave him a good return when they were 
converted into coffins ; the price of a coffin for moder- 
ately rich people often amounting to £100 or even 
£150 sterling. 

In the periodical famine years, and in the years 1862 
and 1868, when the Taiping rebellion had devastated 
the country for miles around, and corpses were con- 
stantly being brought down for some sort of interment, 
his business increased to such an extent that his stock 
of boards was considerably reduced, and he found him- 
self a well-to-do man. Many of the corpses belonged 


4 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


to the poorer classes whose neighbours and friends could 
only raise funds for the most unpretentious of burials ; 
but every now and then the. head of a rich family 
required his services and a large profit was made. 

In these years it was at first a great disappointment 
to find that many could not even raise the lowest price 
that Chun Se-fei could make up his mind to accept 
for the commonest shell, but had to bury their dead in 
rags ; although, when his planks were becoming reduced 
in stock, he had reason to congratulate himself, as he 
found it practicable to increase the price in proportion 
to the demand. It is astonishing to what a degree of 
inconvenience the Chinese will put themselves to bury 
their dead decently, often leaving the family heavily in 
debt. 

In 1876 his wood-yard was again well filled. After 
good crops and the disaster of a sharp cholera epidemic, 
the demand for coffins was enormous, and the elder 
Chun found himself rich as riches in China are esti- 
mated : he was worth in our money about £40,000. 

Coffin-shop may seem a strange term to European 
ears, but to call the owner an undertaker would be mis- 
leading, as in China the buying of a coffin is a simple 
business proceeding. When the bargain is made the 
transaction finishes. Priests superintend the obsequies 
and interment, aided by the professors of that most 
mysterious doctrine “Feng shuy,” who have to choose 
the site of the grave, just as in building they have to 
choose the site of a new house, and the position of its 
doors and windows. 

Many people buy their coffins years before there is 
any prospect of their being required, and will often 


THE ANCESTRAL COFFIN-SHOP 


5 


show them to you with pride, resting in one of their 
halls or back rooms, in readiness. 

Chun Se-fei, the father, had a younger brother, Chun 
Yu-tai, who, having been rather a wild youth when the 
Taiping rebellion was at its height, ran away from home 
and joined the Imperialist army; in which, for un- 
doubted pluck, he was promoted from rank to rank, as 
engagement followed engagement, until he soon found 
himself commander of one thousand men, and received 
from the Peking Government, at the particular request 
of Li-hung-chang, the Hwang Ma-hwa (or yellow riding 
jacket), a decoration much coveted by the military in 
China. A year after the taking of Soochow, and the 
virtual suppression of the Taipings, Chun Yu-tai peti- 
tioned for a post as a small mandarin, and having Li^s 
good-fellowship, and also having gained the reputation 
of not being a greedy man after money (an unusual and 
greatly-to-be-encouraged character in the eyes of the 
Peking high officials), he had gradually advanced in 
favour, so that after gaining good opinions at all the 
posts to which he was raised, he was finally appointed 
Tao-tai of Hoochow-foo. 

Chun Yu-tai had been married for some years, and to 
several wives, but was at the time at which our story 
begins still childless, and bethinking himself of the 
imperative necessity of having an heir, to sacrifice at 
his tomb and to carry out the yearly celebration to the 
dead father and ancestors, he was troubled in his mind. 
The thought of his elder brother Chun Se-fei occurred 
to him, and although no correspondence had passed 
between them for years, he was well informed that 
Chun Se-fei’s family consisted of four sons and a 


6 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


daughter, and after much consideration he determined 
to make proposals for the adoption of one of his 
nephews. The letter had to be carefully worded, 
pointing out that he should do his best to push his 
nephew in the career of the literati, and admitting 
that his own fortune would have been better worked 
out if he had had more education. 

“ My most superior Brother,” he wrote, “ and one who 
must always wish to have the dignity of promoting the 
fame of the family, will you condescend to attend to 
the solicitations of your small unfortunate brother to 
whom Providence has denied a son, and allow the 
transfer of one of my worthy nephews, to be as it were 
blood of my blood and flesh of my flesh ? I think that 
I can push his career upwards, and as too much in a 
granary is liable to rot, to part with one of your off- 
spring for a time might be well, and I hope I shall 
approve of him for my heir.” 

When the letter reached Pa-li Kiao it caused much 
excitement, brought as it was by a Tao-tai’s runner on 
ponyback, in itself a great honour. 

At flrst Chun Se-fei had serious qualms that it was 
simply a requisition from the Tao-tai of his district for 
dollars, and felt no eagerness to acknowledge his own 
identity, but ascertaining that the messenger came 
from his own brother, the letter was opened, and it was 
seen that it would need serious consideration, and an 
early reply. The runner was therefore shown where to 
take up his quarters and obtain his meals, being told 
that next day an answer would be in readiness. 

Chun Yu-tai was known to have obtained promotion, 
but his brother had not heard that he had risen so high. 


THE ANCESTRAL COFFIN-SHOP 


7 


He had always been looked upon and talked about as a 
relation who was more or less of a disgrace, for having 
chosen the low profession of arms (than which there 
is none lower in China excepting that of priests and 
actors). The proposal was therefore very much a 
surprise. 

That evening the grandmother, Chun Se-fei, the 
eldest son, and the second son (also in the coffin busi- 
ness), held council far into the small hours, when a 
unanimous decision was arrived at that Chun Ti-kung, 
our hero, should be offered as the candidate for adop- 
tion. The reasons for this choice were, that as Chun 
Se-fei was well off and elderly, the eldest son, who was 
married and a father, was wanted at home for the sake 
of the business, and the second son was the father’s 
favourite. All three were keen men of business, 
delighting to carouse together at China New Year, or 
in fact whenever a feast or holiday gave them an excuse 
to shut the shop, so that the duty of attending on their 
uncle’s whims was readily relegated to the third son, 
Chun Ti-kung. 

Chun Ti-kung was quite a different being from 
the other members of the family. Chinese women’s 
lives are so suppressed, monotonous, and, as we may 
almost conclude, devoid of thought, that it is difficult 
not to think that Chun had derived his proclivities 
rather from his mother’s father than directly from 
his mother herself. This grandfather of Chun Ti- 
kung’s had been very fond of books, and might have 
become a great scholar had he not died young. 

From the early age of six Chun Ti-kung had shown 
eimilar tastes, and now, having reached his nineteenth 


8 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


year, he had already passed his three preliminary examin- 
ations at Hangchow, enabling him to compete for further 
honours. His advancement in life depended on these 
successes, and was by no means secure, as his papers 
might be sent in for examination after examination, and 
year after year, until he had reached his dotage, with- 
out result. 

Chun Ti-kung was somewhat of a dreamer ; he loved 
the hills and waterfalls that abound near Pa-li Kiao, 
and would wander about them trying to imitate the 
odes of the best Chinese writers, or making sonnets to 
a lady’s eyebrow. To his love of books and writing 
was added a great admiration for all the ancient, 
well-preserved records of the ceremonies of former 
centuries. The proper conduct during times of mourn- 
ing or rejoicing, in the worship of ancestors, in the 
celebration of the spring and autumn birthdays, even 
in shaving, was of serious import to his mind. In fact, 
he was a follower of the doctrines of Confucius, which, 
with the many additions of superstition tacked on 
by Buddhist and Taoist priests, forms the religion of 
China. 

The day after Tao-tai Chun Yu-tai’s letter had been 
received the runner was summoned after the mid-day 
meal, and was entrusted with a handsome folded dis- 
patch. With some ‘‘cumshaws” (gifts) and good 
wishes for a prosperous ride he was sent on his 
course. 

The dispatch set forth in carefully selected charac- 
ters, that a fortnight from date the small and worthless 
third son of Chun Se-fei would be sent to paf his bene- 
volent and much-to-be-honoured uncle a submissive 


THE ANCESTRAL COFFIN-SHOP 


9 


visit for the purpose of re-connecting friendship and 
cementing family ties; concerns always to be held in 
remembrance. 

On the same morning, little anticipating how much 
business of serious import to himself had been settled 
during the hours that he slumbered, Chun Ti-kung was 
naturally surprised at receiving a written and formal 
request to present himself before his father at two 
o’clock in the afternoon, in the big room of the house 
where all feasts were given, and the rites to ancestors 
paid, at China New Year and birthday festivals. He 
of course donned his long gown and ceremonial hat, 
and on presenting himself, found his grandmother, 
father, mother, and elder brothers all in readiness for 
his appearance and anxious to communicate to him the 
great good fortune that had been decided on for him, 
whether he liked it or not. 

As a matter of fact, the offer with all its possible 
opportunities was just what Chun Ti-kung would have 
wished for himself : the proposal was quite unexpected 
from the quarter whence it came ; and to be able to 
continue his studies and to gain a name for scholarship 
was his great ambition. It was therefore with an 
excessive affectation of indifference that he expressed 
his dutiful submission to his parents’ wishes, the ex- 
aggerated display of any feeling among the Chinese 
generally indicating the opposite of what they pretend. 

“ One further remark of importance,” said Chun the 
father, “ which is that we think it only right that your 
marriage should be celebrated before your departure, 
for often when fully occupied, the days and months roll 
by, and we take no count of them. You might follow 


lo 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


in the steps of your uncle, and have no son to continue 
the name after you.” 

Chun Ti-kung had, almost as a matter of course, 
been betrothed to a neighbour's daughter about a year 
before, but as he had never seen his betrothed, and 
felt no inclination for marriage, he shrugged his 
shoulders at this remark. For this unseemly conduct 
he was severely rebuked by his mother : and knowing 
that his clear duty under the circumstances was to 
complete the arrangement, he changed his tone, or 
rather his attitude ; and proceeded to ask his father and 
mother to make all arrangements for the happy event 
to come off as quickly as possible. 

In China the bride and bridegroom have not much 
trouble about their marriage, all being arranged by 
their respective fathers and mothers, and in most cases 
through a third party, who is called in to make the 
proposals. Marriage resolves itself into a matter of 
bargain. The bride’s father, if in equal circumstances, 
generally gives more than the son’s father, which 
seems reasonable, as the girl and her children belong 
to the other family, which is in future responsible 
for their maintenance. The exchange of presents, 
clothes, jewels, and furniture, is all done by the seniors 
through the go-between, and, until the marriage-day, 
the bridegroom, at any rate, can do pretty much as 
he likes. 

A lucky day was accordingly chosen from the Chinese 
calendar, by the priest’s advice, and the exchange of 
presents and visits having been completed, the bride 
was brought home to her father-in-law’s house in the 
prosperity-and-happiness-giving red chair belonging to 


THE ANCESTRAL COFFIN-SHOP 


the village. The priests attended, the mystic silk 
strings were exchanged, the wine from the same cup 
was drunk by bride and bridegroom, and Chun Ti-kung 
became a married man by all the laws and customs of 
the Empire. 

On the wedding-day, and the day after, the bride- 
groom was hard worked, what with having to entertain 
the guests, and having to eat and drink a great deal 
too much. But ye ladies ! what a time had the bride ! 
For five or six days, dressed up in state, she had to 
stand and bow to all the guests introduced to her : her 
poor head crowned with ornaments weighing seven or 
eight pounds, and the other clothes almost equally un- 
comfortable ; and this ceremony lasting each day from 
noon to seven o’clock. 

Chun Ti-kung’s father had naturally foreseen that 
the necessarily long-drawn-out preliminaries to Chun’s 
departure would take a week longer than the period 
mentioned in the letter to Chun Yu-tai. ‘‘For other- 
wise,” as the father said, “ would it have looked well to 
force off one’s son on to the hospitality of his uncle in 
unusual haste ? ** 


CHAPTER II 

COUNTRY MOUSE AND TOWN MOUSE 

All things now having been arranged, and five days 
having elapsed since the wedding took place, Chun Ti- 
kung and his belongings (which his father had been 
far from niggardly in furnishing) were put on board 
a native boat which, with the exception of a few li 
of land carriage, would bring him to Ningpo. 

The wife remained with her father and mother-in- 
law. 

The Chinese are emphatically a stay-at-home race, 
and few of them travel beyond the limits of their own 
or the next adjacent parish, with perhaps one or two 
visits to their Foo City, during their life-time. Chun 
Ti-kung, as will have been noted, had been as far as 
Hangchow for his examinations, and had spent some 
days there, but beyond this, nowhere; so the route 
before him, first to Ningpo, then by foreign steamer 
to Shanghai, and thence again in native craft to Hoo- 
chow, appeared a serious undertaking. 

Some rapids on the way down from Pa-li Kiao, 
and the shouting and excitement of the crew, greatly 
astonished him, but in spite of apparent danger he 
12 


COUNTRY MOUSE AND TOWN MOUSE 13 

arrived at Ningpo without mishap, where for the first 
time he was to come into contact with the “foreign 
devil;” the only words that really express the Chinese 
feeling towards foreigners, even after years of associ- 
ation. 

It is possible, I suppose, that there are out-of-the-way 
places in Europe where inhabitants may exist who 
have not heard of railways, and who do not understand 
the meaning of the posts with wires. If so, they must 
surely be people who have not learned to read and who 
lack intelligence. In Chun's case there was no lack of 
intelligence or knowledge of Chinese books : but there 
were no links, no intermediate steps, to convey to his 
mind the myriad experiments that have resulted in 
the marvels of modem invention; and it must be a 
great shock of surprise that first assails a person in 
Chun's position. 

The only information that is given to a Chinaman 
is that the steamer is a “ Ho-lun Chuen,'' something 
to do with fire, wheels, and a boat. “The superior 
man '' however, as Confucius says, “ is not an utensil.'' 
He has still room for endless observing and learning. 
And Chun, after hearing the explanation from the 
friendly banker in Ningpo to whom he had been sent by 
his father, with trepidation in his heart but calmness on 
his features, was next day conducted on board the 
s.s. Tun sin, and wished good luck in a glass of samshu, 
while fire-crackers were let off on the wharf to cheer 
his spirits. 

The steamer had a good number of passengers, but 
though many of his fellow-countrymen with whom 
Chun talked had often made the trip, to his disappoint- 


H 


CHUN TJ-KUNG 


ment none of them had any clear notion how the power 
of moving through the water was obtained. 

A fireman whom he had recognized as hailing from 
his own village, and with whom he began a friendly 
talk while the steamer was still at anchor, showed him 
the boilers, the coal bunkers, and the engines, through 
the skylight, but as the fireman’s ideas of how the 
engines were made to work were far from either theo- 
retical or practical correctness, little enlightenment was 
obtained. After the steamer had started, Chun tried to 
make a few observations on his own account, but his 
hopes were dashed, and his feelings hurt, when, on 
trying to peer in at the door of the engine-room, he 
found himself unceremoniously pushed back by a greasy 
arm thrust through a dirty shirt-sleeve, with a phrase 
he did not understand, “Get out of this, you d — d 
Chinee.” 

The twelve hours’ passage was enlivened by Chun’s 
making the acquaintance of the son of a Shanghai 
foreign bank comprador, a specimen of the native 
gilded youth of that place. This young man, antici- 
pating some fun from Chun’s evident greenness, began 
the conversation: made himself very agreeable to 
win Chun’s confidence; and succeeded in so far that 
Chun agreed to put up at the hotel which this young 
gentleman Pei recommended. Chun at the same time 
insisted that Pei should see him through dinner on his 
first evening in Shanghai, to which Pei only too readily 
agreed. 

Chun arrived at Shanghai at seven o’clock in the 
morning, and after being pushed and dragged hither 
aud thither by the hotel touts, finally, with Pei’s well- 


COUNTRY MOUSE AND TOWN MOUSE 15 

directed efforts, found himself at the Guest House 
Chang Chun leu (or Everlasting Spring), where he 
was taken to what seemed to him a luxurious apart- 
ment. 

Shanghai has many native hotels pure and simple, 
but the Chang Chun leu was one of a few old foreign 
‘‘hongs” which have been converted to this use by enter- 
prising proprietors, and although dirty and ill-managed, 
the facts that visitors could here experience the novelty 
of tasting foreign “chow chow” if they liked it, and 
that “ coal-fume ” or gas is laid on, generally keep them 
full, and Chun was lucky to find himself so easily accom- 
modated. He ordered breakfast for himself and Pei, 
after which that young man had to leave to report 
himself to his father, and Chun, after washing his 
hands and changing his clothes, began to consider 
what he should do. 

His arrival at the wharf, the scrambling and jostling 
for himself and his baggage, and the rapidity with 
which some big foreigners, with few disputes, had cleared 
the steamer of its passengers, had greatly bewildered 
him. It was so different from his experience at Hang- 
chow, where with his three hundred fellow students, 
there had been endless delay in identifying the com- 
petitors, and allotting to them their respective cells 
in the Examination Hall, although they only arrived 
in comparatively small parties. In walking to the 
hotel he had only vaguely taken notice of very wide 
streets, and such tall houses as he had never before 
seen, his mind being in fact harassed by the total dis- 
appearance of his baggage, which Pei, after having it 
pointed out, had sent to its proper destination. 


CHUN Tl-KUNG 


i6 

Qualms seized him, after observing Pei's strikingly 
handsome silk costume, that his own clothes were not 
good enough ; and then, seeing people looked so busy, 
he felt uneasy about choosing the right time to call 
on the banker to whom he had letters of introduction. 
Finally he settled to leave these matters to be dis- 
cussed with Pei at dinner, and asked his host how 
best to employ his time till then. 

“ My worthy host,” said Chun while eating his mid- 
day meal, what way do you recommend as being most 
appropriate to your humble guest for filling a few spare 
hours?” The host, with a view to the largest “ squeeze,” 
at first suggested a horse carriage, but finding that 
Chun thought this extravagant, proposed that he 
should take a “ Tung yang Choi ” for a ride down the 
Bund and over to Hongkew. Chun was perplexed and 
silent: here was a carriage of some sort apparently 
without horses, and bearing the curious name of “ East 
foreign,” whereas Chun had attributed all these kind 
of changes to West foreigners. Seeing, however, that 
his host waited, and not wishing to appear inex- 
perienced, he gave his consent, and in a few moments 
was told that the carriage was at the door. He put 
on his hat and went down, nervous but determined, 
and was agreeably surprised to find what a far from 
formidable-looking vehicle a jinrikshaw is. On mov- 
ing off he remarked to himself, “ Verily this is better 
than a wheelbarrow and quicker than a sedan-chair.” 

His ride through the settlement filled Chun with 
wonder. One of his first acts was to stop the rikshaw, 
alight, and, to the astonishment of the bystanders, 
gather together some of the dust of the road. Never 


COUNTRY MOUSE AND TOWN MOUSE 17 


before had he seen a road made of granite chips, and 
it was not till long after that he found out how the 
smooth surface was accomplished. In a letter of this 
time that he wrote to his father, he described the roads 
of Shanghai as “ smooth, cut out of solid stone.’' 

Chun in his rikshaw went down the Bund enjoying 
the really pretty picture. On each side of the road 
were trees just then putting on their bright green 
coats, beyond them on the right the handsome river 
was crowded with boats of all descriptions, from the 
sampan riding lightly like a duck on the water, to a 
high Tientsin junk, from the steam launch to the 
man-of-war and grand mail steamers; on the left, 
houses higher and bigger than any palace, finer than 
it had entered into his heart to conceive. 

At first he was inclined to believe the houses were 
built of stone, but finding one of red brick he supposed 
that the others might also be made of brick and covered 
with plaster, like the Loongfung Pagoda on the Sehoo 
(Western Lake). Still, the glass windows, the absence 
of dirt, the number of the houses ! Wonderful ! A cart 
passed him, and all at once sprinkled his wheel, and 
the rikshaw coolie’s legs, with sparkling drops of water, 
astonishing to see; but what diverted his attention 
and upset his equanimity was the number of horse 
carriages, constantly driving to and fro, sometimes at 
such close quarters to his rikshaw wheels, that he 
made a start to jump out on the other side, so that 
on one or two occasions he almost destroyed the equili- 
brium of his carriage and draughtman, the latter at 
intervals turning round to remonstrate. 

Chun had read of horse carriages at Peking, but 

0 


i8 


CHUN Tl-KUNG 


never had thought of their going fast or without being 
led, and when he began to piece together in his mind 
the number of foot passengers, the horse carriages, and 
rikshaws and wheelbarrows that he had seen, he drew 
the conclusion that some great fete or fair must be 
going on, the cause of which he must ask Pei in the 
evening. 

One little occurrence impressed itself very strongly 
on Chun’s mind. His rikshaw collided with another, 
almost upsetting it, the occupier of which, a merry 
British tar, felt the necessity of jumping out and 
proceeding to pummel his coolie’s head. Chun drew 
in his breath, for forth from the side walk, tall, dark, 
bronzed, with dark-blue clothes and a red turban on 
his head, strode a Sikh policeman, who laid hands on 
the obstreperous white man, and telling the rikshaw 
to follow, marched him away. Chun’s reflections formed 
themselves into this, “Was this a Tung-yangV The 
Se-yangs are evidently white. We have a black god 
in most of our temples, but what could this creature 
be? 

The lamp-posts and the telegraph-posts with wires 
passing overhead he made a mental note of in his brain 
to inquire about afterwards. 

There is nothing in the structure of the wooden 
bridge at the end of the Bund to attract the attention 
of a Chinaman. The streets of Hongkew, beyond it, 
are for some distance bordered by plaiuly-built shops, 
little if any better than may be seen in any China 
city, so that when the rikshaw coolie — who had early 
in the engagement, much to his delight, received the 
order to go slowly — assumed an appearance of ex- 


COUNTRY MOUSE AND TOWN MOUSE 19 

haustion, and asked, “ How many more li do you wish 
to go ? ” Chun, seeing that there were now uninterest- 
ing vacant places between the shops, and tired of 
novelty and excitement, gave the order to turn and go 
back to the hotel. 

On some shops on each side of the way he now for 
the first time noticed the advertisement of Tung- 
yang goods for sale. Getting down and entering one, 
he was shown some specimens of Japanese porcelain 
and tortoise-shell ware which were new to him. These 
he admired and could not help wishing to buy, but as 
he felt the need of economy, he bowed to the shop- 
keeper, and saying that he would return in a few days, 
left the shop. 

To the already numerous wrinkles ” in Chun’s mind 
had been added this one, that he had discovered that 
Tttng-yang (Eastern Ocean) meant Japanese. He came 
back to the hotel by four o’clock, and as the coolie, 
backed up by the landlord, charged only twice the 
amount that was due to him, Chun suffered only a 
moderate squeeze.” 

Chun felt very grateful to the host when the latter 
brought him as a means of passing the next hour a 
newspaper of the day in Chinese to . read. Chun had 
not known that a daily paper was issued in Shanghai 
by the Shun-Paoii office. Besides the Peking Gazette, 
which is entirely official, there are no newspapers in 
China excepting those started as a speculation by 
foreigners in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Tientsin, 
and it was a novel treat to Chun to read the news. 
As the daylight was failing, he drew near the window to 


20 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


fiDisli reading the paper, and hearing ship bells ring live, 
raised his head, and caught sight on the opposite bank 
of the creek of a small flickering orange spark. Drop- 
ping his paper in surprise, he saw without any apparent 
assistance the spark become a steady flxed light, in 
a globe as large and bright as the moon itself. The 
streets, previously fading into darkness, now shone 
brightly illuminated. The shadows, however, had all 
the darkness of night. Then, too, Chun noticed that 
other high posts had also become lights. This was 
his first introduction to electric and gas lamps. 

“ Your honourable guest awaits you,” announced the 
proprietor of the Chang Chun leu, and Chun hastened 
down to meet and welcome his newly-made friend. Pei 
greeted him gaily. 

“ My brother,” he said, “ if you will allow me to have 
the honour of so addressing you, I have taken the 
liberty of speaking with this old dormouse of a land- 
lord of yours, and I have suggested, if you agree, that 
this being your first visit ‘beyond the doors,’ you 
should treat yourself and me to a meal served in 
foreign fashion, washed down with a bottle of foreign 
samshu which they call ‘ sham-ping.’ In the meantime 
let us smoke a cigarette.” 

Chun answered, “ I shall always be ready to accept 
any suggestion made by my elder brother, and feel 
myself bound to be grateful for the efforts you make 
to enlighten my mind.” 

Cigarettes were brought and smoked — these per- 
nicious luxuries Chun had already seen at Pa-li Kiao — > 


COUNTRY MOUSE AND TOWN MOUSE 2t 


and in a quarter of an hour dinner was announced. 
The requisite bowing and gesticulating as to who 
should take precedence in entering the dining-room 
having been properly gone through, Chun finally 
pushed his friend into the seat of honour on his left 
hand. The table was lighted by gas and covered with 
a tablecloth — two novelties to Chun — and there were 
funny instruments in the way of electro-plated spoons 
and forks and knives instead of chop-sticks. With 
Pei, however, Chun did not feel shy, and found the 
implements not very difficult to control, and with a 
quart of Jules Mumm “ sham-ping ” between them they 
soon began to talk freely. 

Chun, eager for information, inquired first about the 
electric light. “ Oh yes,” was the answer, but it 
doesn’t pay; the Teen-seen (telegraph) means some- 
thing about lightning and wire, the engine that makes 
it is down in Hongkew, and works very much like a 
steamboat engine, only differently.” 

“ The pavements ? Yes, certainly an improvement 
on old Shaou Shing, but the cost, how much dmt 
they cost ? Very dear are the foreign settlements and 
their ways. Fair or fete here ? No, there was nothing 
unusual in the traps that you saw, they were only the 
usual business people going about their affairs. The 
place is always busy, excepting on Le-pai, the seventh 
day, when our Custom-house is closed, and as a rule 
the foreigners do not open their offices unless we ask 
them. The gas overhead V Yes, that is generally used 
now. You bake the coal and make it give out a breath 
of itself, which lights when you apply a match to it.” 


22 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


“ Then,” said Chun, how are matches made ? ” But 
this Pei did not know, and beginning to find the 
questioning dull, said — 

“ Take another cigarette and let us walk around ; you 
may have seen pretty girls in Hangchow, but I think 
I can show you better and comelier here. Finish the 
sham-ping. Here’s to you. Come along.” 

No Chinaman is what we call moral in the limited 
sense of the term, there is nothing wrong to his mind 
in amusing himself with “ sing-song girlie,” even though 
he may be thrice married; and although Chun had 
always been a quiet, steady young man, he was quite 
open to do and dare a little excitement with friend 
Pei, especially with the half quart of champagne inside 
him. 

So out they started : Chun in his quiet suit of blue 
cloth with a darker blue jacket and a cap of black silk, 
contrasting strongly with his companion, whose cap 
was of civet fur, his jacket of aesthetic green, and coat 
of pale pink satin, his leggings of primrose tied at the 
ankle, above white stockings, terminating in yellow 
shoes deeply decorated with black velvet, a dress 
indeed that for harmonious colouring would have 
attracted admiration in Regent Street. Their pig- 
tails differed in splendour — Chun’s slender, quiet, and 
unpretentious ; Pei’s broad at the base, thick through- 
out, and gradually ending in silk braid — swagger from 
start to finish. Their hats too they wore with a 
difference; the manner of wearing a Chinese hat is 
indicative of character. A steady man wears his a 
good way back from his forehead, while a rakish 


COUNTRY MOUSE AND TOWN MOUSE 23 


young fellow will pull it half way down to his eye- 
brows. 

It was apparent that Pei had mapped out the even- 
ing s entertainment pretty carefully for his own amuse- 
ment, for when he and Chun arrived at No. 10, in an 
alley- way off the Foochow road, and knocked, they 
were immediately shown up to a nicely lighted and 
comfortable room — cups of tea and a plate of melon 
seeds were placed before them. Presently two young 
women, whose names were Le Keaou-lin and Ong Tu- 
pao, very handsomely dressed, and accompanied by 
their amahs carrying silver water pipes for smoking 
pale tobacco, were shown in and introduced. A wink 
of previous acquaintanceship passed between Pei and 
Miss Le Keaou-lin. They were pretty girls not more 
than eighteen years old — too much whitened and 
painted, and their hair too much gummed and plastered 
down for foreign ideas of beauty, but with attractive 
ways, full of conceits, talk, and songs. 

Chun was at first quite a wet blanket, not knowing 
what to say, but after Miss Ong Tu-pao put her hand 
on his shoulder and said, “ Dear Mr. Chun, I hear you 
come from my dear old native place Hangchow, and 
that you can give me all the news about it since I 
was there,” Chun found himself ready with the first 
compliment he had thought of and answered — 

“ What a happy place.” 

“Nonsense,” replied Ong Tu-pao. “I don’t want 
humbug, I want you to tell me all you can of the old 
city. If the walls are rebuilt, if the suburbs show 
more trade, and if the festivals on the Sehoo go on as 
ever.” 


24 


CHUN Tl-KUNG 


Chun answered that most of his time in Hangchow 
had been spent in the Examination Hall, but that one 
day he had gone to the Sehoo Lake and enjoyed him- 
self very much. Ong Tu-pao did not push her inquiries 
further, indeed it is doubtful if she had ever been as far 
as Hangchow, hut the reserve was broken, and Chun 
having been enticed out of his shell they were all soon 
in merry conversation. 

To Chun’s inexperienced mind, a woman who could 
talk, who knew a good many pieces of the acknowledged 
poetry of China, and who was prepared to cap verses 
with him, was full of fascination. He wrote — 

Her form is like the swaying willow, 

Her eyes are like lakes in autumn 
When no wind ruffles the surface. 

She sang to her lute — 

A dragon from the Eastern seas, 

A phoenix flying in the skies. 

So does he seem to me. 

He replied — 

The phoenix fain would perch on the swaying willow; 

The dragon would mirror himself in the calm lakes. 

But time was flying, and Pei signalled that samsMo 
was to be brought : it came, in delicate little cups of 
fine porcelain, slightly warmed. Nasty? Not at all, 
if the wine is well seasoned. This came from the 
Shantung district, and was nutty and tasty, and much 
appreciated by Chun. 

The game of Italian “ Morra ” was then started ; this 
game looks simple, but it requires remarkably quick 
eyesight and judgment, and as the forfeit for the 


COUNTRY MOUSE AND TOWN MOUSE 25 

loser is — in China — to drink a glass of wine whilst 
the victor does not, it happened that Chun had to 
drink a good deal more than his opponents. 

The amahs handed their mistresses the Chinese 
apology for a guitar, and some songs were sung, 
delightful to Chun and Pei, who enjoyed the mono- 
tonous falsetto, the octave crowded with many more 
divisions of notes than in European music. 

Pei now suggested to Chun that it was his turn 
to order refreshments ; and Chun, who had lost count 
of time and dollars, called for hot soup, fish, sweets, 
and more samshu. By this time it was past one 
o’clock, and Pei, knowing that he had already in- 
curred parental displeasure for staying out so late 
on the first day of his return to Shanghai, began to 
fidget and wanted to leave. Chun, however, had just 
confided to Ong Tu-pao, in strict confidence, his and 
his uncle’s name and address, his future grand pros- 
pects, and his hopes that she would never forget him, 
and would not hear of breaking up the party so 
soon. 

At half-past two Pei had disappeared, and Chun 
might have been seen sleeping snorefully on one of 
the couches, covered up carefully with a sheep-skin 
rug. 

Early the next morning the coolies of the establish- 
ment roused him, and he sat up with a racking head- 
ache, and a dismayed feeling that he did not know 
where he was. The head coolie brought him a cup 
of warm tea, and while he sipped it and began to 
recover his scattered senses, a slight little figure slipped 
into the room, kissed him on the forehead, and begged 


26 


CHUN Tl-KUNG 


him to remember all that he said last night, and 
at the same time, with a twinkle in her eye, pressed 
into his hand a small piece of paper with Chinese 
characters on it ; a bill, in fact, for thirty-five Mexican 
dollars. 


CHAPTER m 

BKIDEGROOM AND SING-SONG GIRL 

Chun Ti-kung’s father had treated him liberally, 
as besides supporting his wife, he had made him an 
allowance of about seventy-five pounds a year, so that 
he might never feel himself entirely dependent on his 
uncle. The sum, given by a rich father, sounds insig- 
nificant to European or American ears, but if we could, or 
rather would, live on Chinese principles, we might all 
of us become independent, if not rich, before we reached 
the age of forty years. Chun Se-fei’s personal expenses 
scarcely exceeded what he had allowed his son. 

Chun had been deeply impressed with his father s 
generosity when he first heard of it at Ningpo through 
the bankers, and felt horribly disgusted with himself 
at having placed himself in his present position. He 
could not help feeling himself dissipated and disre- 
putable-looking, — he hardly knew his way back to the 
hotel, and all the time staring him in the face was the 
wretched bill — 

One table for 4 persons . $10 
One supper ... 8 

Shaou Shing wine . . 6 

Hire of musicians • . 12 

$35 


27 


28 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


Old Chun Se-fei had supplied him with what he 
considered amply sufficient cash to carry him through 
to Hoochow. After arriving there, he could begin to 
draw his allowance from the bankers ; but here at the 
beginning was an expense which had not been reckoned 
upon by any of the parties concerned, but which he 
wisely considered could not be disputed. “ If you have 
been foolish, pay for the folly and commit it not again,” 
he said to himself. 

Chun called for a basin of water, washed his feverish 
face and hands, and left the house saying that he would 
return and settle the bill. Fortunately for him Pei’s 
credit, at any rate as far as introducing guests went, 
had not yet been exhausted, so that no opposition was 
made to his leaving the premises. 

So, then, to walk back to the. hotel, without showing 
that he felt as if everybody were staring at him, to 
face the interview with the bankers, and ask from them 
more than a month’s income at one fell swoop. “ For,” 
said Chun to himself, “if the small Chinese supper 
cost thirty-five dollars, what must the foreign dinner 
have cost?” 

Poor Chun. To hardened sinners it may be easy 
enough to face a landlord’s inquisitive eye, but to him, 
who had passed his first and second examinations with 
credit, how mean and despicable did it feel to have to 
come home early in the morning, and ask for breakfast, 
everybody knowing, as he thought, that he had not been 
in bed all night. 

To Chun’s simple mind, the fact of having to present 
his letter of introduction to the bankers and ask for 
accommodation was a monstrous bugbear ; and until it 


BRIDEGROOM AND SING-SONG GIRL 2^ 

seemed absolutely certain to him that the tiling must 
be done, he sat in a succession of hot and cold shivering 
fits. 

Eleven o’clock struck, and having resolved to face 
the worst, he called a rikshaw and drove off to the 
addresses with which he had been provided, first to 
a cousin in the Maloo who was to identify him to the 
great Ningpo banker Tung Yu, on whom his credits 
were. 

The cousin was expecting Chun Ti-kung’s call, 
welcomed him cordially, and after a short conversation 
expressed his willingness to vouch for Chuns identity 
to the Tung Yu firm, which he did ; that is to say, he 
took him to the bank, told one of the subordinates 
pretty high up in the office, that Chun was his cousin, 
who had letters of introduction to the firm, and finding 
that Tung Yu was engaged, left Chun to look after 
himself. 

Waiting for an interview with a principal at home, 
and waiting for such an interview at any Chinese hong, 
are very different things. In England you are perhaps 
shown a seat and told to wait, but in China you are 
virtually introduced to a large number of people, all 
more or less interested in the business, and all equally 
anxious to find out what you have come about. 

Chun, after waiting some time, was easily persuaded 
by one of the older clerks in the office to explain his 
business and show his credits, when the clerk said — 

“ Oh, we knew all about this yesterday, there is no 
need for your honourable self to wait, only show us that 
you have the same signature as in the letter of credit, 
and your draft will be honoured.” 


30 


CHUN TLKUNG 


Chun’s mind was relieved for the moment, but as he 
wanted information as to how to proceed to Hoochow, 
he stammered a little, asking, “ But how shall I get up 
to my uncle ? ” 

To the question, What uncle ? ” his answer, Chun 
Tao-tai of Hoochow,” caused the elderly clerk to 
change his tone, and instead of answering the question 
immediately, he, like a Scotchman, replied — 

“ When do you wish to leave ? Where are you 
stopping ? ” 

Chun, though a youngster, had sufficient “ savvy ” to 
reply that his great object was to leave for his destin- 
ation as soon as possible, if they would let him know 
the best way in which it was to be done. The old 
clerk told him that he would make inquiries, and 
added — 

“I think I shall be able to make all arrangements 
for you to start on the evening tide, which will probably 
serve at seven o’clock.” 

Chun rose to go, still feeling that two such bills as 
he must present so soon might injure his credit, 
stammered and hesitated on his way to the door. The 
old clerk again took him by the arm and piloted him 
into a small private room ; remarking, as soon sis the 
door was closed — 

“My young friend, it would be a pity for all of us 
if we kad not once been young. We knew that you 
arrived yesterday, and it was our business to find out 
that you spent the evening with Master Pei.” 

The term “Master Pei,” so applied to his guest of 
the previous evening, rather opened Chun’s eyes to 
the fact that he was a notorious black sheep. He 


BRIDEGROOM AND SINGBONG GIRL 


31 


explained the whole position, and the amounts that 
he felt himself bound to pay. The elderly clerk, laying 
his hand on Chuns shoulder, remarked — 

“ Remember, youngster, that as Mister Tung Yu and 
many of us come from a village close to yours, we 
are more or less friends. The difficulty you are in at 
present is small, you have been a little extravagant, 
I admit, but give me a receipt for all the money that 
you think you may require for expenses here, and 
to-morrow after tiffin you shall be started properly 
provided for your trip to Hoochow. Remember one 
thing more, if you really find yourself in want of money ; 
send to us rather than apply to the outside usurers. 
You will find that anything in reason will be done for 
you on more moderate terms than you will get else- 
where. The proverb ‘ Be economical with the cash and 
the silver will accumulate ’ is not one that I need bring 
to your mind.” 

Chun had looked at the hotel tariff, and calculated 
what he supposed his liabilities amounted to ; and the 
clerk could not suppress a broad grin when he saw that 
the entertainment at No. 10 came to the larger half. 
“ Your treat, I suppose ? ” 

■ Chun answered simply, “ I don’t know,” and having 
received the dollars, made his bow, promising to be 
punctual the next day. 

It was now past one o’clock ; so Chun, feeling in good 
spirits, went back to his hotel with a fine appetite for a 
good meal, after which he enjoyed a good sleep, a natural 
habit in a Chinaman. By and by Master Pei dropped 
in, hoping that he might induce his friend to go 
gallivanting with him again, but he found Chun 


32 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


grumbling about the bill of the previous evening, which 
Pei hoped had not yet been sent in, so he wisely left, 
recommending in his facetious way a brandy and soda 
for the doldrums. The fast native youths affect foreign 
manners. 

So Chun dined quietly by himself and then took a 
turn down the Bund, to observe, with a much-exercised 
mind, more of the foreigners’ improvements or devil- 
tries. He had remarked, when washing his hands at 
the hotel, that the water he used had not to be carried 
up from a well or creek in buckets, but flowed as from 
a mountain stream into the basin through a leaden 
pipe — how surprising ! 

On his walk, he received a shock of alarm at finding 
himself and the adjacent objects within a radius of a 
few feet suddenly lighted up by an extraordinary glare. 
The bright light rested on him for a few seconds, then 
throwing dark shadows before it, travelled to the top 
of one or two houses, to the opposite end of the street, 
and finally withdrew itself, apparently into one of the 
ships in midstream. Only the electric search-light 
from one of the men-of-war, but to Chun another 
inexplicable phenomenon. 

Confused and tired, Chun went back to his room to 
sleep, perchance to dream, till a late hour the next 
morning, when he enjoyed again the Shunpaou or 
Chinese newspaper, spent some time in dutifully 
writing to his father, and then proceeded to tiffin at 
Tung Yu’s hong, to which he had received an invitation. 

At tiffin Chun found that Tung Yu himself presided. 
The meal was on a little more elaborate scale than 
usual. Tung Yu sat with the elderly clerk and his 


BRIDEGROOM AND SING-SONG GIRL 


33 


young guest, making inquiries about his native village, 
and giving Chun good advice for an hour or so. When 
tiffin was over, and the clerk was bowing Chun to the 
door, the latter remembered that he was still in need 
of a few more dollars with which to make a present 
to Ong Tu-pao, so drawing the clerk on one side he 
told him of his wish for a little more money. “ You 
see,” he said, “ I shall have no expenses as far as I can 
see for a long time in the future, and although my 
hotel bill for the dinner, including the sham-ping, only 
came to ten dollars, still if I pay away all the 
money you gave me, I shall always feel worried 
in case anything should happen on my way up 
country.” 

The elderly clerk smiled. “ You had much better 
leave the bill with me and let me settle for you — you 
have got cheaply out of your escapade, and I will 
provide you with a motto against Master Pei and his 
kind, that ‘ When you fly with eagles you should have 
an eagle’s strength.’ ” 

Chun would not hear of this arrangement, and said, 
“ But — honourable Mr. ? ” 

“ Loo of the lowest degree,” replied the other. 

“ Well, my honourable friend Loo, I think that I was 
so well treated that the least I can do is to make the 
remembrance of the evening as pleasant to my enter- 
tainers as it was to myself. I want you to let me have 
my own way on this occasion.” 

The clerk scratched his head doubtfully. 

“Your boat, you know, leaves at four p.m. when the tide 
serves, from the Szechuen jetty on the Soochow creek. 
We have already sent a fast chit boat to your uncle to 

D 


34 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


say that you are leaving. I am afraid you may miss 
the tide.” 

“No fear,” replied Chun. “ I will go to the boat at 
once and see that all my things are in order, make my 
call, and return in good time for the start.” 

So Chun got his extra dollars, saw where the boat 
was situated, and that a coolie was installed over his 
belongings, and rushed off in great hurry and excitement 
to pay his supper bill. 

Ong Tu-pao, Ong Tu-pao, the sweet name had been 
ringing in his brain for, it appeared to him, months, 
but when he got to No. 10, and, after considerable 
delay. Miss Ong made her appearance dressed in a 
fascinating masquerade costume as a man, Chun was 
rather disappointed to find the payment of the bill 
and the present of ten dollars received in a very matter- 
of-fact way. 

“ Come and see me the moment that you return from 
Hoochow,” said she. “ I am engaged for the theatre 
this evening, and if,” with a smile, “ it had not been 
for one whom I appreciate I should not have appeared 
in this costume. I see you have had tea, so I hope 
you will excuse my running away or I may be late. 
Good-bye. Come again soon.” 

She waved her little hand, bowed and retired, leaving 
Chun in disgust at what he considered want of feeling. 
Vexed at the slight conveyed by Ong Tu-pao’s manner 
and words, he refiected also, that it was mean of 
Master Pei to have saddled him with the whole cost 
of the entertainment. 

Poor little Ong Tu-pao, merriest of mortals, her 
appreciation of what best suited her boyish cast of 


BRIDEGROOM AND SING-SONG GIRL 


35 


beauty cost her dear. It was illegal for a woman to 
put on the imitation man’s attire that she wore. The 
mandarin hat, high boots, sable skin coat and pigtail, 
were amusing and becoming, but the Tao-tai Iseug, 
breathing out fire and damnation against sin and 
sinners, inveigled her into the infernal city of Shanghai ; 
and who can say whether she was returned to her 
native village in disgrace, or if she never again left the 
prison alive ? 


CHAPTER IV 

FROM SHANGHAI TO HOOCHOW 

Chun arrived on board the boat two hours or more 
before the tide served for starting ; he was feeling out 
of spirits, lonely and depressed, and tried to occupy his 
thoughts by arranging his books and other belongings. 
As his dinner was served at about the same time that 
the boat was leaving the jetty, he hardly noticed, until 
he went again on deck, that he was clear of Shanghai. 

Great are the pleasures of an up-country trip in a 
house-boat in China. To a foreigner it means freedom 
from telegrams, from letters, from business of all sorts ; 
and although, on the Thames, house-boats may be more 
luxurious and more elaborately furnished, they can 
never pass beyond the region where letters are expected 
and telegrams may be sent. 

A Chinese boat-house is, like everything else in 
China, uncomfortable. The fittings are all ill-fitted, 
and the draughts come in from all directions. A 
Chinaman, however, dresses in furs and wadded clothes 
in cold weather, and to him the inconvenience of 
draughts is slight. At the end of April, when the 
days are growing long and warm, a boat trip is delight- 
ful indeed, and as Chun from the deck watched the 
36 


FROM SHANGHAI TO HOOCHOW 


37 


iiioon rising, while the yuhlo (the great single oar 
worked by four men at the stern) sent the boat quietly 
along, he felt a fine return of spirits, and a happy trust 
as to what the future might hold in store for him. 

For miles around Shanghai the country is a plain as 
flat almost as a billiard-table. You may climb to the 
top of a seven-storied pagoda and look round a circle 
of land as perfect as the circle of water you can see 
from a ship in mid-ocean, with nothing but a hillock 
or two, or a pagoda, to break the line of the horizon. 
In spring-time your eye will rest on many patches of 
wheat just ripening, on here and there an acre of 
peach-trees in full bloom, on fields of rape with its 
brilliant yellow flower. You not.ce the creeks of 
water meandering and fertilizing in every direction, 
and must be struck by the richness of the land. 

Every now and then the four rowers working the 
great yuhlo varied their work when the banks served, 
and going on shore with a tow-line, dragged the boat 
along at an even, slow walking pace. At these times 
Chun also took a little walk along the banks, little as 
a Chinaman generally likes walking ; he immensely 
enjoyed observing the features of the country new to 
him, and was not at all disappointed on hearing that, 
owing to contrary winds, the trip would probably take 
four days instead of three. 

At Ta Kwang Miao, a name meaning great-brightness- 
temple, Chun was much interested in watching several 
boats paddle out to mid-stream with large birds perched 
on each gunwale. The boatmen push the birds off 
into the water, they dive, and presently, to the sound 
of a loudly beaten rattan, return, each bird to its 




CHUN TI-KUNG 


proper master, some with fish in their beaks and some 
without, the thriftless bird receiving a tap on his head 
from the bamboo. This was cormorant fishing, poor 
fun for the birds, as each wears a ring round its throat 
which prevents them from swallowing the fish that 
they catch. The birds, however, generally look brisk 
and in good plumage, and probably have a good tuck in 
after their day’s work is over. What surprised Chun 
was, that although the boats were at no great distance 
from each other, every bird seemed to know the tone 
of his own boat’s rattan, and no squabbling as to owner- 
ship followed the dive. 

On the morning of the fourth day the Lowdah told 
Chun that the hills of Hoochow were in sight, and 
that he would probably arrive by two o’clock. He 
packed up his baggage in the odd baskets, pig-skin 
boxes, and nets affected by the Chinese traveller of 
Chun’s class, read the message over again that he had 
been instructed to deliver to his uncle verbally, and 
tucked the letter from his father into his waistband 
pocket. The boat passed through a picturesque but 
dilapidated water-gate, and stopped in a wide piece of 
water inside the walls of Hoochow-foo. 

At Hoochow folk are very inquisitive, always seeking 
for some new thing, so when it became bruited abroad 
that a stranger was going to call at his Excellency 
Chun Yu-tai’s Yamen, fortunately no great distance 
from the boat, Chun was rather disgusted at finding 
himself the leader of a motley procession, members of 
which at times indulged at his expense in remarks 
on his appearance and .clothes, intentionally uncom- 
plimentary. 


FROM SHANGHAI TO HOOCHOIV 


39 


Arriving at the Yamen, he dehvered the red paper 
slip that does duty as a Chinese visiting card, and was 
told to wait ; nasty little boys still stood round chaffing 
him in a merciless way, until Chun and the two boat- 
men who accompanied him, found it difficult to keep 
their tempers. 

Privacy in China is little regarded; staring crowds 
collect on small provocation, and are allowed to enter 
gates and even doors without much check ; and in the 
precincts of a Yamen one is more public property even 
than elsewhere. 

The room in which Chun was told to wait was not 
far from the hall in which his uncle was delivering 
judgment on the day’s peccadilloes, and the crowd, 
gradually finding other attractions more agreeable to 
them than that of watching a stranger sitting on a 
form, dispersed, leaving Chun listening to what was 
going on in the inner hall. 

A voice suddenly roared out, “ Give him two hundred 
blows with the heavy bamboo, and his accomplices 
one hundred blows each. Do the rascals think I 
am going to be kept up all night listening to their 
lies? Clear the Court — the business is over for 
to-day.” 

For a short time longer, while the seals were being 
locked up in the presence of his uncle, the crowd 
meanwhile thronging noisily through the gates, Chun 
was left to himself ; ’ but his uncle, now having found 
time to look at his card, was again heard shouting. 

“ Where is the boy ? what have you done with him ? 
why have you kept me so long from knowing that he 
had arrived ? ” 


40 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


“ Judgment seat, you asses ? Hang the judgment 
seat ! Is not a man to welcome his own relations ? ” 

It was a principle with old Chun Yu-tai never to 
wait for an answer to any question that he might ask 
of his subordinates, so striding into the waiting-room, 
still in his robes of office, he immediately singled out 
Chun as the man most likely to be his nephew, and 
tapping him on the shoulder, cried — 

“Well, nephew, I am glad to see you here at last/' 
Chun Ti-kung made a ceremonious bow, and handed 
his father’s letter to his uncle, who read it carefully 
through. Chun Yu-tai was a fine specimen of a 
Chinaman, six feet two in height and built in pro- 
portion ; his long robes made his appearance decidedly 
imposing, and the younger man, who, although well- 
built, stood only five feet seven in his cotton socks, felt 
at a disadvantage. 

His uncle began making inquiries as to his grand- 
mother. “ An old lady now she must be, I must get 
leave to see her as soon as I can. My brother? 
Well? That is all right. All your brothers and 
sisters in good health ? Good. Come along with 
me now, I want to get rid of this panoply of office, 
which is far too warm, and I want to see that 
you are comfortably settled in your rooms, to which 
those stupid pigs of servants might have sho™ you 
when you first came, if,” with a laugh, “ they were not 
afraid of doing anything that I might disapprove of 
afterwards. Do you mean to say they have not sent 
for your baggage, or paid off those Shanghai boatmen ? 
Come,” he shouted in a stentorian voice, “ are all you 
fellows asleep ? ” 


FROM SHANGHAI TO HOOCHOW 41 

The attendants hurried in, and after being roundly 
abused, were told to bring in his nephew’s luggage at 
once. Chun Yu-tai added — 

“And tell those rapscallions of Shanghai boatmen, 
that if they stay in Hoochow to-night repeating hashed- 
up stories about the wonderful wages to be earned 
in Shanghai, and all sorts of other yarns about that 
place, I will see what their skins are made of 
to-morrow.” 

Then taking Chun by the shoulders he led him to 
his own room, asking him to wait while he divested 
himself of his robes, reappearing again quickly in a 
plain, long, wadded coat and black cap. 

“Come along, nephew,” he said, “I am sorry that 
your parents insisted on doing all that business of 
marriage for you, but I quite see that you were not 
consulted in the matter. The rooms prepared for you 
are in the wing, and I hope sincerely you will find 
them comfortable, and that we shall get on well 
together.” 

Chun followed through a back door of the Yamen, 
and taking a turn to the right was shown through a 
small door into a small off-shoot from the central 
court, fronted by a garden planted with palms and a 
few green bushes. The door he saw could be fastened 
from the inside, while the three sides of the garden 
were enclosed with brick walls, so that his seclusion 
was complete. The garden was laid out in a way that 
thoroughly suited Chun s taste. Dwarf trees in pots, 
a little tank-like pond overhung by a fine weeping 
willow, some gardenia bushes, and small twisting paths, 
made the most of the limited space. 


42 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


The apartment consisted of two rooms, a bed-room 
and a reading-room. In which you can work either 
for yourself or for me,” said his uncle. “But look 
here, I do not know your opinion of foreign ways yet, 
but I have learned in my campaigns to like one thing 
that they like, and that is bathing,” and preceding 
Chun to a little room behind the bed-room, he showed 
him a Soochow earthenware bath-tub full of water. 
“ You may order hot water, of course, if you like ; but 
if you follow my plan you will take it cold during the 
warm weather.” 

The idea of taking a cold bath gave Chun a shudder 
down his spine, but he concealed it from his uncle, 
and expressed himself, as indeed he felt, delighted with 
his quarters. 

A man put his head in at the door to say, “The 
luggage has arrived.” 

Chun Yu-tai jumped up, saying, “ Now you can go 
along ; see that you have the right number of boxes, 
and then the boy will show you where to meet me 
for dinner at seven. You have heaps of time to get 
ready, it is only six o’clock now, and I want the boat- 
men to get out before the city gates close, so don’t 
dawdle just now.” 

ChuM hurried out after his uncle to do as he 
was told. The men were soon paid and dismissed, a 
far easier task from a Yamen than anywhere else, 
especially if your uncle is the chief. 

At seven o’clock a servant came to Chun’s door and 
led him to a small room where his uncle received him, 
the table having been laid for dinner, and they took 
their seats. The dinner was a plain one of soup made 


FROM SHANGHAI TO HOOCHOW 


43 


of lotus leaves, fish, rice, duck stewed with garlic, 
and tea. 

Over the after-dinner pipe, Chun Yu-tai sketched 
out for his nephew the plan he wished him to adopt, 
the hours in which he would expect him to act as 
his secretary, and learn the business of the Yamen. 

“As regards meals,” he said, “you had better at 
present share them with me, only, of course, when it 
is agreeable to you; when you have work to do, or 
want to study, you have only to tell your boy at noon 
and he will see that the meal is served in your room. 
By the way. Ah Hwuy.” 

“ Yes, sir,” answered a respectable-looking coolie. 

“ You take care of this gentleman, and see that he 
has what he wants.” 

Ah Hwuy kow-towed to Chun, and said, “I hope, 
sir, to merit your approbation.” 

Chun felt very well treated, and began to make some 
rather effusive remarks as to the fatherly kindness with 
which he had been received. His uncle shrugged his 
shoulders, answering in a somewhat crusty tone — 

“ Look here, I know you are now talking as you 
should, but I get too much of this sort of palaver every 
day of my life. I shall be pleased if you are satisfied 
after a trial ; but in the meantime, understand that if I 
do not want you at any special meal, I shall not hesitate 
to assert the same privilege that I have given to you, 
and I shall ask you to stay away.” Then seeing that 
his nephew looked disconcerted, added — “ But now as 
it is time for bed, let us first drink a glass of samshu 
together, and then say good-night.” 

Chun dropped quietly into harness at the Yamen, 


44 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


r-.nd found a good deal to make the work interesting — 
1 gal technicalities as to land tenure, claims to estates 
the title to which had been lost during the rebellion, 
uhe common cases of theft and assault, all were interest- 
ing to him. The home life was not altogether so 
pleasant; he found that the first, second, and third 
wives were all averse to his being made his uncle’s heir, 
•iiid he had often to put up with cold looks and nasty 
iiMiucndoes, whilst his uncle after a long day’s work 
• lozed in his chair, so he gradually took to spending 
more and more time in his own rooms studying, where 
he was often disturbed by his uncle, to take notes of 
some dispatch that had to be sent off by dawn. 


CHAPTER V 


HIS UNCLE THE TAO-TAI 

Chun Yu-tai, or Chun Tao-tai, to call him by his title, 
was one of those men who had actually rebelled against 
the dreary grind necessary for literary advancement, but 
happening to fall upon times when personal courage 
and promptitude were of value, he had found his 
services appreciated. 

He had been on friendly terms with Li Hung 
Chang — for so long a time the leading spirit in China 
— and had worked with Chinese Gordon in his campaign 
for the Imperial Government, and carried ever in his 
heart the memory of the quiet, unshowy way in which 
serious operations had been conducted by that great 
man, without bombast or fuss of any sort. 

In consequence of these memories, his views as to 
intercourse with foreigners were much more broad and 
liberal than that of most of his colleagues. Nothing 
annoyed him more, or roused him more quickly into 
prompt action, than to hear that a missionary had been 
pelted with stones for preaching, or that a harmless 
individual on a visit to the country had been treated 
with indignity. 

Chun Ti-kung, on the contrary, was decidedly preju- 
45 


46 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


diced against foreigners, and their arrogant assumption 
of superiority. On this subject his ideas had not 
reached further than what is shown in a Chinese map 
of the world, in which China is shown as taking up 
nearly all the space, while Foreign Powers are repre- 
sented as inhabiting little islands dotted around its 
borders. 

For missionaries he had a special aversion, and on a 
day when he came across a foreigner (a devil, to his 
mind) trying to divert a crowd from attending a cere- 
mony at the temple, vociferating and reiterating — 
" This is all false and wide of the truth,” Chun felt 
his blood begin to boil ; he blustered forward with the 
remark, “ What new-fledged people are these who come 
to our towns telling us what is true and what is false ? 
Is your country as long established as ours, and can you 
defend the opium traffic that is attributed to you ? ” 

The crowd began to grow and thicken ; the foreigner 
continued the argument in very bad Chinese, Chun 
answering hotly. The sympathies of the crowd were 
evidently being enlisted on the side of their countryman, 
a few stones and some mud were thrown by youngsters 
on the outskirts of the mob, and there was every 
appearance of a bad time coming for the lonely stranger, 
when very opportunely the Tao-tai’s chair appeared on 
the scene, on a visit to a fellow official ; the crowd was 
buffeted from side to side as the chair coolies made 
their way through the comparatively narrow space, and 
as soon as he had passed, the Tao-tai ordered back his 
bodyguard of twelve soldiers to see that the crowd did 
not form anew. His quick eye had caught sight of the 
prominent place taken by his nephew in the disturbance. 


HIS UNCLE THE TAO-TAI 


47 


After the evening meal on the next day, as the two 
men were cracking their melon seeds, Chun Yu-tai 
remarked to his nephew, “ I suppose you saw me passing 
by the other day when you appeared to be speaking to 
the people. I am not going to ask you any questions ; 
but before you go any further in that direction, I want, 
as an older man than you are, to ask you to look for 
yourself into questions that you now take on hearsay. 
The foreigner to your mind is a brute beast ; now have 
you any reason for that feeling of dislike ? When I was 
your age I also hated all that I heard about them, and 
would, if it had been possible, have driven them from 
the country. Since then I have come into contact with 
foreigners, and have studied their books, especially that 
one that they call their Sacred Book, and I find that 
their theories of life are in many respects similar to our 
own. Their idea ‘ Do unto others as you would they 
should do unto you,’ is in fact more practical than ours, 
‘ Do not do unto others what you would not have them 
do to you.’ They date their religion almost as far back 
as the time of Confucius, and we know what difficulties 
there are in finding information about his time. These 
Christians, all professing the same religion, have got so 
far from the original position that one-half of them or 
more call the Supreme Being whom they worship 
‘ Teen Choo,’ the other half call him ‘ Shang Te.’ 
Both of them acknowledge a third God with the unfor- 
tunate name of Ya-soo, which requires very little change 
in pronunciation, as you know, to make it mean ‘ wild 
pig,’ a name that you must often have heard in your 
intercourse with anti-foreign parties. 

Ya-soo is said to have been the son of a virgin, but in 


4S 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


both the French and the English religions he is reported 
to have had three Fathers, Teen Choo, Shang Te, and 
Da Vid. The last was a king of the time of Confucius. 
He led a bad life. In our own traditions there are 
accounts, you know, of similar miraculous births, and I 
am afraid that even in our Ancestral Worship there are 
ceremonies which we do not wish to omit for fear of 
consequences, but in whose efficacy we do not wholly 
believe.” 

Chun tried to remonstrate. 

“ Hear me out,” said his uncle. “ Get the books 
which you have never read. Bead them, and then if 
you like come and argue with me. In the meanwhile, 
remember I will not have you bringing yourself, and 
consequently my Yamen, into disputes about foreigners. 
I think of course that they made a big mistake in 
insisting on this country being opened to teachers of 
religion instead of traders ; it was probably on account of 
their old proverb — ‘ First teachers, then a gunboat, and 
then trade,’ but as the Treaty was made, and the mis- 
sionaries are respectable people preaching peace and 
virtue, no one under my control shall treat them badly. 
When next I talk with you, you shall give me your 
opinion ; but I know that your views are borrowed from 
other people only, and not well-informed people either. 
As Mencius said, ‘ There are no such things as righteous 
wars, but some wars are better than others.’ The 
foreigners took Peking, but they enabled us to beat the 
Taipings, and we should, I think, do our best to prevent 
any new misunderstandings arising.” 


CHAPTER VI 


A SON TO WOKSHIP AT HIS GRAVE 

It was a busy time at the Yamen ; there were claims 
Dy silkmen against the pawnshops for having sold their 
silks in too great a hurry when there was a rising 
market; there were continuous fights going on about 
the proper boundaries of certain properties, and rights 
of way ; there were transit passes to investigate, and 
the host of petty sins and omissions that come before a 
magistrate every day of his life. During the three 
years that young Chun lived in Hoochow, Chun Tao- 
tai did his best to make his nephew acquainted with 
his work ; he usually made him attend as his secretary 
and reporter on the cases brought before him, showed 
him where to find the records of decisions on similar 
points, and how to draw up the forms of petition and 
defence in a manner fit to bring before a judge. At 
the same time he encouraged Chun in earning some 
money as a pleader when a case was offered to 
him. 

The Tao-tai"s reputation for never accepting bribes 
was so long established, that he had rarely of late years 
been tempted in that way. On one occasion, however, 
on which a suit for adjustment had been laid before 
49 B 


50 


CHUN TI-ICUNC 


him, he smiled after going through the particulars, 
and sending for his nephew said, “ Here, my boy, 
is a case in which one side has deposited one hun- 
dred and fifty dollars, and the other only fifty dollars. 
Read the papers through carefully, and report to me 
on it.’^ 

Chun accordingly took the documents and studied 
them, and much as he wished to appear averse to 
bribery in his uncle’s eyes, he could not help deter- 
mining that the dearer-paid application had the more 
justice on its side, and after a night’s consideration 
he told his uncle his opinion with rather a sheepish 
air. 

The Tao-tai rubbed his hands with a satisfied look, 
remarking — 

“ Quite right, my son, quite right, I had arrived at 
the same conclusion myself, but these fellows, though 
they may be equally rich, sometimes try me by pleading 
as if they were poor and oppressed by their richer 
neighbours; one must learn to judge not on the 
amount offered, but on the true merits of a case. 
Your decision has pleased me, for” (with a chuckle) 

I thought you might have gone in for appearing too 
clean-handed.” 

The two months of September and October are 
almost always the months necessitating the hardest 
work in the Yamen, as outside the current work there 
are estimates to be formed of the production of the 
silk, wheat, and cotton crops, and the quantity of 
tribute rice, assessed as due to the Government against 
them. In the winter months there was a considerable 
amount of distress amongst the poorer agriculturists, 


A SON TO WORSHIP AT HIS GRAVE 51 


who had hardly had time since returning to their homes 
to lay by a store for a severe winter, although the large 
amounts of undergrowth that could be collected on the 
uncultivated grounds prevented what is sometimes the 
hardest of evils, want of fuel. All these had to be 
helped. At China New Year, Chun Ti-kung saw for 
the first time the ceremony of locking up the seals and 
closing the office for the regulation time of thirty days 
— one week before, and three after. On the first day of 
the New Year he assisted in receiving all the lesser 
officials in their fullest robes who called to pay their 
ceremonious visits, and at one or two official receptions 
that were given by the Tao-tai. 

Spring came round with its new duties. Through 
all the year Chun Ti-kung conducted himself with 
modesty and propriety, giving satisfaction to his uncle, 
with whom his intercourse gradually had become more 
intimate and familiar, although at times he still had to 
submit to some hard words and names from the wives 
— the words “ interloper ” and “ cuckoo ” being fre- 
quently mentioned in his hearing, and with intent. 

His uncle gave him a fair allowance, a small part of 
which he sent to his parents in Pa-li Kiao, whilst on 
his own account he had developed great interest and 
enthusiasm in the drilling of the troops, and had per- 
suaded one of his uncle’s veterans to teach him his 
drill, and, as the veteran was an athlete, wrestling, 
running, and jumping. When there was rifle practice 
he would shoot with the other soldiers, and became 
fairly proficient. As all this was done in the early morn- 
ing, he hoped one day to astonish his uncle ; but the 
Tao-tai knew all about it, and liked him the better, and 


52 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


would laugh in his sleeve at the lame excuses that 
Chun Ti-kung had to make for a black eye, or a 
sprained wrist or ankle. 

In February, according to the foreign year, a large 
red envelope had arrived from Pa-li Kiao by a special 
messenger, the contents of which were to the effect 
that Chun Ti-kung was a father, and that his heir was 
strong and healthy. This, which is generally great and 
joyful news, especially to a Chinese father, was, I am 
afraid, received rather apathetically. The acquaint- 
ance with his wife had been very short, and in the 
altered life and ambitions that he had been leading, 
Pa-li Kiao and its accessories were more or less rele- 
gated to the past. In a dutiful and official sort of way, 
he had from month to month sent letters to his father, 
hoping his honoured relatives and wife kept in good 
health, and that prosperity continued with them for 
ever ; enclosing the paltry sum that he hoped would be 
sufficient to prevent his wife from being a pecuniary 
burden on their greatly esteemed hospitality ; although 
at the same time hoping her services as a dutiful daugh- 
ter-in-law were performed with love and alacrity, and 
that she should be corrected, if such were not the 
case. 

Poor daughters-in-law in China have often a very bad 
time, but, as a matter of fact, Chun Se-fei’s business 
was still very prosperous, and Chun Ti-kung’s wife was 
pampered and made much of to an extent more than 
was good for her. She had latterly been sending angry 
messages (she had never learned to write), grumbhng 
that her husband did not send for her to Hoochow, 
which Chun Ti-kung ignored, but which rather tended 


A SON TO WORSHIP AT HIS GRAVE 53 

to increase the hostile feeling that his marriage had 
from the first caused. 

Chun Ti-kung had never told his parents of the 
remuneration that the Tao-tai gave him, but had left 
the allowance which had been steadily paid in for him 
by his father, to accumulate in the hands of Tung Yu, 
the bankers at Shanghai, who, in consequence, formed 
high opinions of such an economical constituent. 

The “joyful news” had of course to be communi- 
cated to the Tao-tai, who felt glad that there was now 
no chance of the son whom he intended to adopt dying 
witlioat heirs, and remarked, “You must give him a 
good education, and see what can be made of him.” 
But the supper that was given in honour of the event 
was not hilarious, and the poor httle beggar who had 
been ushered into the world was a nonentity as 
far as his father’s thoughts were concerned for some 
time. 

Handsome presents and letters full of high-sounding 
phrases were sent both by the Tao-tai and his nephew 
to their relations, and Chun’s wife and son, and it is 
to be hoped they were received with more enthusiasm 
than that with which they were sent. 

Chun Ti-kung during the period under review had 
improved greatly in appearance since leaving his home. 
He carried himself well, and had greatly developed his 
physique by vigorous exercise; altogether he was a 
handsome Chinaman, with rather that Jewish cast of 
countenance that many of them have. 

His uncle, although rough at times, was a fairly well- 
educated man, whose demeanour was generally very 
dignified. The officials and their sons, with whom he 


54 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


was brought into intercourse, were mostly well bred an I 
very polite, and Chun Ti-kung had benefited from asso- 
ciating with them. He was inclined to conceit possiblj^ 
but this feature in his character was not easy of detec- 
tion, and what lad of nineteen is not readily forgiven 
for having it ? 


CHAPTER yil 

WORK AND PLAT 

When the next October came round, and the morn- 
ings and evenings began to feel exhilaratingly brisk, 
the Tao-tai turned up one day in his nephew’s quarters, 
and said — 

“ Nephew, I have noticed that you are looking rather 
fagged out during the last week or two, and I am 
myself wanting a rest. There are rumours of some 
rascally pirates on the Tai-hoo, and I propose going in 
the chop^ taking a gunboat with us, and trying to clear 
the beggars out, I am fond of a scrimmage myself; 
and if you are not, you at any rate may try. I hear 
you have in the early mornings been taking some 
interest in the daily drills in the camp, and have made 
yourself fairly proficient. Go down now as much as 
you can, and do your best to become a good shot both 
with gun and pistol. Your office work is at end for the 
time, and it will be a good fortnight’s work to get 
muscles into play, and a greater facility in the use of 
fire-arms. It came naturally to me, but to some it is 
not so.” 

Chun Ti-kung, who thought that his visits to the 
1 Mandarin boat. 

55 


56 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


camp had been quite unobserved, was at the same time 
pleased and excited at the proposed expedition, and for 
the next two weeks played with his arms and legs in a 
way that he had never done before, running, wrestling, 
shooting, and marching, as only young nerves and 
muscles will allow. 

The day but two before the expedition was fixed 
to start, Chun Tao-tai announced at the early parade 
that on the following day a competition would be held 
for the best shot, the best runner, and the best wrestler. 

The camp was situated outside the city walls, and 
was as usual in the form of a square, with mud walls 
about twelve feet high, and a ditch outside, six feet in 
width, filled with water. There was only one entrance, 
to the south, and in the interior were the mud huts 
and tents in which the soldiers (about five hundred men) 
were lodged, whilst between them and the gate was a 
good-sized parade ground, well levelled and. hardened 
by having been watered during the night. The appear- 
ance of the ground on the day of the competition was 
gay in the extreme. Innumerable flags of bright 
colours flaunted from poles, and from all the hiits, 
tents, and entrance gates, whilst over the slightly raised 
platform from which Chun was to give his decisions 
floated a large flag with an enormous character for 
Chun ” in scarlet on a white ground ; and, mind you, 
there are few handsomer decorations than well-formed 
Chinese characters. On the three sides of the square 
fronting the judge, the soldiers who were not competing 
stood with their rifles in their hands, looking extremely 
handsome in their blue and orange uniform, with black 
turbans and boots; a white circle with the word 


WORK AND PLA Y 


57 

**Cliun‘” stitched on the blue cloth between their 
shoulders and on their breasts. 

At 10.30 Chun Tao-tai, in his green chair, clad in 
full mandarin clothes, and his hat bearing the crystal 
button and peacock feathers, followed by the other high 
officials of the city in green sedan-chairs, and by his 
officers, entered the parade ground and took his seat, 
the soldiers presenting arms in a fairly unanimous 
manner. The competitors for the shooting prize were 
called upon to come forward, and it was evident that 
most of the men were not very confident shots, as only 
twelve men competed; but these proved pretty even, 
and it took more than an hour for the contest to be 
decided in favour of a veteran who had served under 
Chun in his campaigns. 

For the running, thirty competitors came forward, so 
that it had, on account of the course, to be run in two 
heats. Chun Ti-kung competed, winning one heat, 
but when it came to the final, a wiry middle-aged 
man, who was greeted with considerable chaff under 
the sobriquet of “ Chih-to-Siao-too,” — “Plenty eat, 
small belly,” — won it rather easily. 

The third contest, for wrestling, only brought five 
competitors, the other soldiers knowing from experience 
that they had no chance against the champions ; but 
after two or three bouts had passed without any great 
advantage to any one of them, a row commenced in the 
crowd before the gate, and a stranger pushed unhesitat- 
ingly through the soldiers amidst jeering shouts of 
“ Ei ya,” “ the God of war,” “ the boaster, he can beat 
them all.” 

Proceedings were for a time stayed, whilst Chun, 


58 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


after learning what had led to the confusion, -looked 
angrily at the man, and remarked, “You had better 
make good your boast at once, or it will be the worse 
for you.” The stranger bowed in a very composed 
manner, and moved away to the back to undress, during 
which time another bout was played, resulting in one 
of the wrestlers getting a heavy fall. 

The stranger was then ordered forward, and certainly 
did not seem to warrant his self-confidence. For one 
thing, his head and face had not been shaved for days, 
and nothing so soon makes a ruffian out of a Chinaman 
as inattention to these particulars. One feature, how- 
ever, immediately struck the crowd — the enormous 
length of arm that he had. This eventually caused the 
overthrow of the two still in the match. He would not 
allow them to close until they were pretty well spent, 
and then he appeared to have no difficulty in putting 
them off their legs. His condition was splendid, and 
his endurance enormous ; the bouts were long, and the 
last one with the most noted of the lot of wrestlers 
lasted half-an-hour. 

The win was a very unpopular one, and whilst the 
stranger was dressing, cries of “ Lallyloon,” ^ “ Chang- 
mow,” ^ robber, rebel, were heard resounding on all sides, 
which made the Tao-tai very angry. He called the 
man up at once, and ordered three of his soldiers to 
take him safely through the crowd, and send him on 
his way. Some of the satellites around Chun’s chair 
had been whispering that he was one of the robbers of 

1 Corruption of Portuguese word, ladrdo, robber. 

2 Ch&ng-mow =long-h^ired (rebel) j not shaven, with only 
pigtail. 


JV07?/C AND PLAY 


59 


the Tai-hoo, and wanted him to be detained, but as the 
Tao-tai knew himself to be in a bad temper at his best 
men having been beaten, he was too just to want to 
investigate at such a moment. 

The cause having been removed^ the excitement soon 
subsided, the troops put through a few manoeuvres, and 
the Tao-tai and his nephew returned to the Yamen 
with their motley corUge of ragged Yamen loafers. 

At all Yamens there are crowds of men lounging 
about on the chance of some job, the most dissipated- 
looking, beggarly-clad ruffians that you could see any- 
where in a day’s march. When the mandarin goes on 
a ceremonious call, red umbrellas and red hats of a 
Welsh shape are served out to some of these men, and 
one or two gongs, which, being old, give forth a good 
sound, with which to lead the way and clear the streets. 
Some go before and some follow after the green chair 
in which the Tao-tai is seated in his robes of office, and 
one or two rather better-dressed satellites, with mush- 
room-shaped white straw hats, with red silk streaming 
from the top, mounted on the most ragged and miser- 
able-looking ponies that can be imagined, precede and 
close up the procession. A mandarin procession is 
about as well-dressed and imposing as a Punch-and- 
Judy show, which, by the way, reminds me that the 
China Punch-and-Judy show is almost identical with 
that in Europe, and that the squeaking voice is almost 
— but hold on, or else reminiscences will stop the pro- 
cession, which would be very disrespectful, and not in 
accordance with the Book of Bites. 

As after events proved, the victorious wrestler was a 
rascally pirate ; he finally met with his deserts in being 


6o 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


condemned to the Ling ch’ih, or the lingering death by 
ten thousand slices. When carried out properly, this 
torture means pressing a piece of wire network over the 
skin, and slicing off with a sharp knife the portions that 
protiude through the interstices, the network being 
shifted from one part of the body to another until death 
resulted. Now-a-days the death is hastened, and so is 
not quite so brutah 


CHAPTER VIII 


THE TAO-TAI TELLS TALES 

Hoochow-foo is situated south of the Tai-hoo, or 
big lake, a sheet of water about fifty-two miles long 
and fifty miles broad, very irregular in shape, and vary- 
ing in depth from about ten feet to four or even less, 
with islets of various sizes dotted about in its waters, 
and many rocks just, and only just, covered when the 
lake is fairly full. The hills around its margin and 
the islands are of soft decaying granite, which is good 
enough soil to support a considerable and varied 
number of trees, shrubs, and flowers, although here 
and there the plain rock shows purple shades through 
the vegetation. One of the islands, called Tung-ting, 
is celebrated throughout the two provinces of Che-kiang 
and Kiang-su for its fruits, especially its peaches. 

When Chun Ti-kung first saw the place in the 
spring, all the hills and islands were covered with 
azaleas, the trees gay in their young green, and the 
peach-trees in blossom, whilst the low ground was 
brilliant with rape in flower, and the fields with the 
emerald-coloured coming crops. It was a lovely sight. 
In the autumn, when the leaves had turned and the 
taUow-trees were wearing their handsomest coats, it 

6i 


62 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


was in its way equally beautiful. None of the hills 
range above six hundred feet, but rising as they do 
abruptly from the flat alluvial plain that forms so large 
a portion of the vast province of Kiang-su, they have a 
majesty of their own, fantastic as they are in shape, 
and many of them capped with mud walls of former 
camps. Small fishing-boats flit hither and thither 
with their white, blue, or brown sails, making brilliant 
reflections in the water, and cutting up the shadows 
of the hills and trees. Gaily-coloured temples of yellow 
or red, and brown and grey farmhouses, show brightly 
through the foliage in the intense sunlight. A pheasant 
crows and flies like a rocket from one cover to another, 
a flock of teal or a duck or two rises suddenly in front 
of the boat in which you may be enjoying yourself, and 
all the time five or six large hawks soar overhead, from 
time to time crossing your path, and casting so black a 
shadow that in great heat you notice a flash of darkness 
when the shadow covers your helmet. 

The city itself was far from having recovered from 
the effects of the Taiping rebellion. Acres of ground 
still lay simply covered with the d4hris of ruined 
houses, with here and there a wall standing, and 
apparently wondering what its fellows were doing in 
such disorderly and incorrect positions. Now and 
again an old ruin was made use of, through all sorts 
of makeshifts, while a few shops or dwelling-houses 
showed newly built. The main street where the 
market was held, the street in which most of the silk- 
merchants transacted their business, and one or two 
other small offshoots, might have been compared to an 
oasis in a desert of bricks. 


THE TAO-TAl TELLS TALES 


63 

The creek from the east entered the town through 
the water-gate, and for navigable purposes terminated 
in a large square pond about half-way through the 
city. On two sides of this square piece of water stood 
the best houses that had yet been rebuilt, also several 
handsome hongs and shops. The Tao-tai’s Yamen, the 
front of which faced on the main street, had a back 
entrance almost opposite the water-gate. The sides, 
or banks of the pond, had formerly been faced with 
well-hewn blocks of granite, but, like almost all such 
works in the province, had fallen into disrepair. Many 
of the stones had slipped down, the existence of the 
embankment being maintained by shapeless planks and 
ubiquitous mud. 

To the bunding in front of the Yamen’s back 
entrance was warped a smart-looking “gunboat” junk, 
the rowers’ seats covered over with a blue-and-white 
awning, and at her stem an unwieldy but comfortable 
chop or mandarin boat, for the accommodation of Chun 
Tao-tai, his nephew, and others, who would have over- 
crowded the gunboat. 

The two days that had elapsed since the events 
related had been occupied in seeing that the arms and 
ammunition were sufficient and in good order, and in 
provisioning the boats for the venture against the 
pirates. 

The hour for starting was fixed for six p.m. Shortly 
after that time the boats were both under weigh, the 
gunboat towing the chop. The expedition passed 
through the water-gate, and the heavy iron-bound 
doors immediately closed behind them. 

The Tao-tai, having shaken off his cares of office, was 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


64 

in capital spirits, his nephew and Tung Che-tsai (his 
second in command) were also both pleasantly excited 
over the enterprise before them ; so that when about 
half-an-hour after the boat had anchored for the night, 
dinner was served, it proved a most enjoyable meal. 
Fresh-water crabs and water-nuts, although not pretty 
to look at, are delicious when really fresh, and the usual 
entries of a Chinese dinner are good or bad according to 
taste, and Chun liked them much. The frogs outside 
kept up their usual nightly concert; every now and 
then the wind brought down the boom of the drum, 
and the tap-tap of the bamboo, that are signs of the 
watchmen on the city walls being awake. When the 
jpUces de resistance at every Chinese dinner (one or two 
bowls apiece full of plain boiled rice) had been disposed 
of, and pipes were set a-going, it only wanted a good 
story or two to make enjoyment doubly enjoyable. 
This Chun Tao-tai proceeded to do by narrating some 
of his experiences in his past campaigns. 

“ When," said Chun Tao-tai, “ I ran away from home, 
it was with the full intention of joining the Taipings. 
I had some weeks before met a man (who I have since 
found out was the man they called the Chung Wang) 
in a tea house, where he was trying to enlist supporters, 
and showing most plausibly and ingeniously how the 
whole country was over-taxed ; how it was a shame that 
the great Chinese people should continue to be ruled 
over by an alien race like the Man-chus ; and how if 
they would only rise unanimously now, they might 
again put a descendant of the Mings, the true son of 
Heaven, on the throne. Chung Wang was a truly 
good speaker, and when I came away my ears burned, 


THE TAO-TAI TELLS TALES 


65 

aad gi'adually the determination came to me to join the 
movement. But by good chance, when on my way to 
a place that was an open secret as a rebel d^pSt, where 
you would be told where to go and what to do, I turned 
into an inn for a night, and there met a man called Le, 
who shared the same room with me. I was tired and 
fell asleep, hardly noticing him, but in the morning I 
found the poor devil vainly trying to put on his upper 
jacket, which he had thrown off on account of the heat. 
One arm hung helpless by his side, and I saw an 
unhealed wound cut through the flesh on the right 
side of his neck. I helped him on with his coat, 
saying — ‘ What sort of a business is this ? ' 

“ He hesitated, and then replied — 

‘‘ ' I have deserted from the Taipings, and tried to 
join the Imperialists, but the devils caught sight of me 
and left me in this state, so that if I am caught by 
either one lot or the other, they may all kill me. 
When I was shot I fell down, and I suppose they 
thought me dead. I have been crawling along five 
days with nothing to eat or drink, but what I could 
pick up in the fields or the rubbish heaps, and I have 
never had a night’s lodging 'till last night, when I 
managed to slip in here without being seen. My name 
is Le. I was an honest cobbler in Canton, till those 
miscreants persuaded me that I was paying too many 
taxes, that rice was too dear, and plenty more talk. 
But, father, old father, help me ! Do a good action,’ 
and here the poor fellow fell on his knees. 

“At first I thought he was one of those begging 
impostors with whom we are all too familiar around 
here, but as almost immediately after the exertion of 

F 


66 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


kneeling lie fell down on his side and seemed to become 
unconscious, I examined the wound on his neck, took 
away the nasty grass and rags with which he had 
stopped the blood from flowing from the arm, and came 
to the conclusion that there must be something wrong, 
when the arm seemed as though it had no life in it. 
My first thought was to run away when I saw the man 
still lying as though dead at my feet, for I feared I 
might be charged with a murder. Fortunately for me 
better counsel prevailed, and after interviewing the 
landlord, who was equally eager not to have such a 
catastrophe reported as happening in his house, I got 
the wounded man up-stairs, where the landlord admin- 
istered some samshib, which brought back the man’s 
breath, and insisted on putting the arm straight accord- 
ing-to custom, as he said, whilst he bound it round with 
some old cotton cloths. The poor fellow then fell asleep. 

“ When I had run away from Pa-li Kiao, I had sold 
everything I could, and pawned all my winter clothes, 
from which I had about $10 about me, so that I could 
afford to wait for a time, and hear what had induced 
the man to desert from the Taipings, as this appeared 
of great importance to myself. 

“For some time he took very little notice of either 
of us, but after a time he opened his eyes and began 
talking feverishly — 

“ ‘ I am Le, and I do not remember my other names. 

I am an honest cobbler from Canton, but I joined ’ 

and here he looked round surprised at his surroundings 
— a bare room, a dirty straw mattress, and two common- 
looking fellows looking at him, were all that he saw. 
The poor wretch turned to me and said — 


THE TAO-TAI TELLS TALES 


67 


“‘My great noble friend, whose presence seems to 
have been with me ever since I was born, there is 
something that it seems I must tell you, but everything 
is in a mist ! ’ 

“ Much astonished as I felt, having only met the man 
the previous evening, I could not but listen, and slowly 
the words came from Le’s mouth. 

“ ‘ Taipings — Taipings ! Promises of low taxation, 
cheaper rice, happy times, and abundance everywhere. 
I am a Taiping. Oh ! the long, long march, the cities 
we have taken, the temples we have pulled down, the 
country that we have made desolate and without men. 
But patience ; we shall soon see heaps of copper cash, 
rice, and happiness ! ' 

“ It was like a man talking in his sleep. Le asked 
for some water to drink, and in the same monotonous 
voice continued — 

“‘Yes, yes, the cities are taken, the people are dead 
or gone away, and we are the great Taipings ; and now 
Great Peace ! but the peace does not come. The 
country is barren, nobody builds where the houses have 
been pulled down, no one comes to the shops to buy 
anything, rice is very dear, we soldiers get no pay, and 
rice ! rice ! I must have rice ! ’ 

“ Le sprang up from the bed, screamed, fell back, and 
was dead. 

“ My boy, the man's words changed my career, and I 
went and enlisted at the next Imperial camp I came 
to. This was the beginning of my lucky career — and 
so Le proved my benefactor. Poor Le, who did not 
remember his other names." 


68 


CHUN ^TLKUNG 


The Tao-tai, after his talk, lay back and pointed out 
in a few short sentences, how that the Taiping re- 
bellion, if carried through as it commenced, might have 
proved a good thing for the country ; but that, after a 
period, the Teen Wang having to a greater or less 
extent gone mad, and the jealousy amongst the other 
Wangs having destroyed any chance of unanimous 
action, the various expeditions from Nanking only 
destroyed without any hope of restoring. 

“Naturally, the whole people were only waiting 
anxiously for the stronger power, little caring which, 
to make some sort of order again where at that time 
all was disorder, and when his Excellency Gordon” 
(Ko-tung, Chun called it) “ came to the help of China, 
things rapidly came straight, not without taxation still 
having to be kept high, very high, much higher than 
in the times of the Ming dynasty.” 

Tap — tap — tap — tap, came distinctly, and somewhat 
solemnly, on the still air, the watchman’s note, causing 
the frogs for a second to stop their perpetual racket, 
and showing that, at any rate on that part of the city 
wall nearest the boats, the watchmen were still doing 
their duty. The Tao-tai, looking at first one and then 
the other of his watches, remarked that it was only 
half-past ten. 

“ And as,” said he, “ I have not had any sort of a 
holiday for more than two years, I propose that we 
order in another kettleful of that excellent wine of your 
father’s. We shall have a lazy day to-morrow, and at 
present I am liking to hear myself talk.” 

Tung Che-tsai, who had gone out to smoke a pipe of 


THE TAO^TAI TELLS TALES 


69 

opium, slipped in, looking wide awake and refreshed by 
it — in fact, quite a different being from what he was 
when he left, and said — 

“Honoured sir, how can we thank you for treating 
our humble selves to such unmerited honour ? ” 

Chun Ti-kung thought his uncle made a grimace. 

The kettle was brought, the small china tea-cups 
replenished, and whilst the two listeners amused them- 
selves by eating oranges and cracking melon seeds, the 
Tao-tai, between puffs, told various stories of the actions 
he had been through. 

Speaking about the courage of soldiers, and at the 
same time of the curious effects that panic sometimes 
caused, he said — 

“ It was at the storming of Kahding that my men 
were supporting the Ever-victorious army in their 
assault on the city, which was by no means a very 
hazardous affair, when all at once, from some unex- 
plained reason, the whole body of assailants, who had 
advanced within two hundred yards of the walls, and 
were under the enemy’s fire, came to a dead stop. We 
— their officers — shouted and cursed at them to come 
on, and then, as that had no effect, we shouted and 
cursed at them to retreat, which was equally in vain. 
There they stood, until about a tenth of their number 
was killed, when as suddenly as the halt had happened 
a sudden rush forward set in, and within ten minutes 
the breach had been scaled and the city had fallen. 
Not many days after this, we had been pounding away 
all the day at the walls of Soochow, and had made four 
practicable breaches in them, when General Gordon, 


70 


CHUN TI^KUNG 


hoping to stop unnecessary slaughter, sent a flag of 
truce to the Wangs, who were all in one quarter of the 
city, consulting as to what was to be done. The flag ^ 
was acknowledged, and after a time, I am told (for I 
was with his Excellency Li Hung Chang at the time), 
Gordon himself, who knew no fear, went to visit them 
with a Chinese interpreter. I know not with what 
arguments the Wangs were brought to see the hope- 
lessness of their position ; but at any rate, almost before 
we had heard of the flag of truce, the gates of the city 
were flung open, and our detachment under Li com- 
menced to march in. An officer from Gordon’s picked 
troops handed Li a note, which he read, and angrily 
remarked — 

“‘How can this foreigner have promised these 
Wangs their lives, when they are forfeit by all the laws 
of the empire ? It cannot be.’ 

“We marched through the city, no one molesting 
us; in fact, the soldiers of the Taipings had thrown 
down their arms. We came to the quarter where the 
Wangs were, when Li, in calm and deliberate words, told 
them that it was impossible that General Gordon’s 
promise to them of their lives could be kept, that they 
had courted death, merited death, and that death must 
be their portion; but as they had proved themselves 
brave and strong, it should be without any torture. 

“ He then ordered them to be beheaded, which was 
immediately done, and Li Hung Chang went back again, 

I believe, to his boat that was in the city moat, whilst 
I was told off with my portion of the army to remain 
where I was, to prevent any plundering of the inhabit- 


THE TAO-TA/ TELLS TALES 


7T 


ants, or any uprising, the hour being then about seven 
p.m. Not long afterwards — and I really think I was 
never so afraid in my life — General Gordon appeared, 
in a most excited state, and carrying, for the first time 
that I had ever seen him do so, a revolver in his hand. 
He did 'not speak Chinese well, but one of my men 
interpreted him as saying — 

“ ‘ What is this I hear — the Wangs beheaded after I 
had promised them their lives ? Where are they ? — let 
me Took, and then let the villain Li look out for 
himself.’ 

“ The beheaded bodies were shown him, and never 
did I see such a storm of passion as passed over his 
face. 

“ ^ I am dishonoured, but I will punish the evil doer. 
Show me where he is, and^ he shall find I can be an 
enemy as well as a friend.’ 

“Nobody, luckily, knew where Li Hung Chang had 
gone, and I am told that Gordon walked about the city 
and the camp all the night trying, but failing, to find 
him. In the morning it became generally known that 
our greatest help, Gordon, had thrown up his command, 
and left for Shanghai, and without the impulse of his 
energy the campaign seemed to collapse. - Gradually 
news of some fresh successes of the rebel armies under 
Chung Wang came to our ears, and I think it must 
have been six weeks before the mighty Gordon once 
more rejoined our forces (during all which period the 
rebels were again gaining ground), and then the 
rebellion of more than fifteen years’ standing was 
snuffed out. 

“I never knew,” concluded the Tao-tai, “how 


72 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


Gordon’s views with regard to Li Hung Chang’s action 
were altered, but I have been told since that they 
became friends again. How great and how little are 
the doings of men ! ” 

Their little kettle gave them each one more cup, and 
the clock said one, and off they went to bed. 


CHAPTER IX 

IN PURSUIT OF PIRATES 

The navigable creek was for some distance parallel 
with the south shore of the Tai-hoo, and just before 
reaching Nanzing, about fifty li from Hoochow, a cross 
creek connects with the Tai-hoo. The intention was 
to take the chop as far as possible down to the Tai-hoo, 
then to embark on board the gunboat and cruise about 
the lake in the vicinity of where the pirates had lately 
been observed, and if possible to try and seize their 
boats. It was slow work towing the chop, even with 
the assistance of six trackers pulling on a rope at- 
tached to the mast ; but at about five o'clock the cross 
creek was reached, and after proceeding about half-way 
down, it became too shallow and narrow for the chop, 
so that the anchor was dropped and the men told to 
get their meal, and to be ready to embark in the gun- 
boat. The country through which they had passed 
was then still in a very waste state ; here and there 
patches showed signs of again being brought under 
cultivation, and some field labourers were to be seen 
irrigating their crops; twenty people at the outside 
were all they had passed, and in the creek where they 
now were, not a sign of human life was visible, even 
73 


74 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


the omnipresent China dog seemed to have been 
starved out of the country. 

As they entered the creek the dip dip of an oar was 
heard coming from the direction of the lake, and a fast 
boat, one of those used for letter-carrying, and paddled 
by the feet as well as the arms, came rapidly up to 
the gunboat, gave them some pass-word, and came on 
straight towards the chop, when it proved to be the 
scout who had been sent by the Tao-tai through the 
lake to meet the gunboat at the mouth of the creek, 
and report on what the pirates were doing, and pilot 
the gunboat on the lake. This man had been nick- 
named Uhr-thoo, or “ ears,” from the great gift he was 
said to possess of quick hearing. The man was brought 
forward to Chun and told his tale. 

“Your most worthy Excellency, I hurried up the 
creek to meet you at this spot where I had expected 
that your Excellency’s boat would have to stop, as 
there is evidently some big enterprise on foot amongst 
these smart-fingered blackguards. I have seen and 
passed six of their craft, all sailing down to apparently 
the same point, and all fully armed and manned, and 
I thought it best at once to come up, as they must 
greatly outnumber the company that is with you, to 
warn you of the force you may have to encounter. I 
passed near enough to one of the boats to hear them 
speaking of the causeway which your all-knowing self 
is aware lies between the island of Tung-ting Shan 
and the mainland, and also something about meeting 
others to-morrow night there. I was trying to get 
nearer and learn more, but they noticed me and 
hallooed at me to stop. I shouted back ‘letters of 


IN PURSUIT OF PIRATES 


75 


importance from Soochow/ and as tlie wind was dead 
against them I was beyond their reach in a very few 
minutes. I trust that my action meets with your 
Excellency’s approval.” 

The Tao-tai nodded, and after some consideration 
sent for the head boatman, and told him to unfasten 
the long, narrow, fast boat for dispatches which had 
been in tow behind the cho'p. The Tao-tai then asked 
Chun Ti-kung to bring him his writing materials, and 
for some ten minutes he wrote rapidly two letters, the 
one to the officer in command of his troops at Hoochow, 
the other to his second official in rank, whom before 
leaving he had invested with full power for action 
during his absence. The best rower was chosen for 
the fast boat, and was sent off by the Tao-tai, who 
said — 

“ You must get these two letters into Hoochow to- 
night, you can be back there before twelve. The gates 
will be shut, but this is my signal,” and he showed 
him how to knock and call in a certain way. “ And 
if any of them are asleep, tell them I will shoot them 
when I get back.” 

The next day broke bright and sunny, in fact a 
rainy day in October is rather a rarity in these regions. 
The Tao-tai was up and about as soon as it was light, 
and indeed was in a great fidget, as he could not tell 
whether his messenger had succeeded in getting to 
Hoochow in proper time or not; but the change in 
the wind was much in favour of his scheme, and when 
he and his nephew sat down to breakfast he had pretty 
well recovered his equanimity, and related to the latter 
the orders that had been sent in the letters to Hoochow. 


76 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


The two gunboats that were at Hoochow when they 
left, with seventeen soldiers each and a corporal, were 
to be dispatched at once to his aid. If another gun- 
boat had fortunately put into Hoochow, it was also to 
follow quickly. 

The dispatch-boat man with the wind at his back 
managed to make a very good run up to Hoochow, 
and arrived at eleven o’clock, and although he had 
great trouble in getting the sentinels to take any notice 
of his signal, as, Chinese sentinel-like, they had put 
themselves under cover, finally he had been able to 
deliver his dispatches, upon which some excitement 
naturally ensued in the camp and amongst the gunboat 
people. 

The next morning at noon the fast boat came back 
into sight flying a small red flag to show that it had 
a lucky message to deliver. The rower told that three 
gunboats with their complement of men had got away 
from the city at a little before half-past seven, and were 
coming down the creek, and as the wind was fair the 
gunboats would probably not be more than an hour 
after him. The boatman handed the official answers to 
the Tao-tai, saying — 

“ And so, your Excellency, I have been no sluggard ; ” 
and at a sign from the Tao-tai he retired. 

No wonder that, after a good meal that his Excellency 
himself ordered to be given him, the poor chap rolled 
himself in a blanket and fell into a sound sleep, from 
which he was on no account to be awakened till 
absolutely necessary ; but then, as the dutiful nephew 
remarked — “ My honoured uncle never seems to forget 
anything, great or small.” 


IN PURSUIT OF PIRATES 


77 


It was not till four o’clock that the gunboats came 
up. On inspecting them it was found that the Tao-tai’s 
instructions had been carefully carried out, they had 
the desired number of soldiers and victuals for four 
days, whilst their seven-pounders seemed in good order. 
As the men had only had time in the early morning 
for a very hurried cup of tea with cakes made of dough, 
after a long night’s work in getting things in order, 
they were told off to get their meal and rest. The 
Tao-tai sent them five bottles of samshu from his hong 
boat through their captain ; his rules against drinking 
when on service were very strict, but, as he remarked, 
“ Every rule is well broken at times.” So for a couple 
of hours there was a buzz of conviviality and low 
laughter. 

At five o’clock the Tao-tai with his nephew went on 
board gunboat No. 1, and the punt from the chop was 
towed astern. Uhr-thoo the pilot went with them in 
his fast boat, leading the way. Progress was slow, as 
in some parts the creek was narrow, and the over- 
hanging branches so thick that the side oars could not 
be used; but at about six the entrance to the lake 
was reached, when it was found that the overhanging 
bushes would have to be cut away before the gun- 
boats could get through. This was done as silently as 
was possible. 

The moon had set at about seven, and shortly after- 
wards Uhr-thoo was sent out to find out what he could. 
Meanwhile the intervening branches were cut down, 
and the gunboats with muffled oars pushed through 
into the lake, and were steadied with bamboos planted 
in the mud. 


78 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


An hour elapsed during which the cheep cheep of 
the crickets and the sting of the mosquitoes were the 
only evidences of life, and then suddenly, and so silently 
that his approach had only just been noticed by the 
man on the outlook, TJhr-thoo’s boat sneaked alongside. 
He was taken at once to the Tao-tai, and said — 

“ Your Excellency, I have been across to the cause- 
way, and am quite unable to comprehend what is the 
business that these pirates have in view. There are 
two of their boats on this side of the causeway whose 
occupants seem to have left them empty and unguarded, 
and outside the causeway, some distance off, anchored 
in the lake, there were, so far as I could see, four boats 
with their lights burning. Then, as I was turning 
away to give you my report, a brighter glint of many 
lights showed through the trees on the island hill some 
distance from the causeway, and it is there evidently 
that they are holding some sort of a consultation or 
devils’ feast, but, as I said, I cannot make out what they 
are doing.” 

Chun Tao-tai as usual kept his thoughts to himself, 
and told Uhr-thoo to guide the gunboats to where he 
had seen the lights. The night was starlight, but the 
darkness was considerable ; so slowly, and very slowly, 
to prevent any splash from the oars, the gunboats 
moved forward, every now and then becoming entangled 
with the ropes and bundles of reeds that are placed to 
mark where rocks are near the surface, and sometimes 
with a great drag fishing-net that had been left for 
the night, and could be searched in the morning. 
TJhr-thoo, however, proved himself a good pilot, and 
the boats were safely moored' under the island hill. 


IN PURSUIT OF PIRATES 


79 


The night was so still that the slightest noise seemed, 
at any rate to their excited ears, to sound to a great 
distance. The Tao-tai gave some instructions in a low 
tone, with the result that Tung Che-tsai and four of 
his best subordinates departed with as little noise as 
possible in the punt, the gunboats not moving. ‘ Chun 
Ti-kung would have given anything to know what the 
orders were, but not a word was said. All felt the 
intensity of the silence ; then came over the water a 
rumble of one boat touching against another, a groan, 
a slight sound of scuffling, and then the sound of the 
punt returning. When Tung Che-tsai came on board, 
he reported that on arriving at the pirate gunboats, 
which were of great capacity, anchored alongside of 
each other, no notice was taken of the approach. 

“ I boarded the first,’’ said he, “ and the guard was 
gagged and bound before he was thoroughly awake; 
the watchman of the second boat was just caught by 
the throat as he was jumping on the shore, and could 
only make a groan, and there they both are in the 
bottom of the punt. I tried to sink the boats,” added 
Tung Che-tsai, “in accordance with your Excellency’s 
instructions ; but as they are big and strong I could 
not have knocked out one of their planks without 
making a great noise, so I returned to you for orders, 
fearing to attract the pirates’ attention.” 

'' Haou ting haon’' (good, very good), replied the 
Tao-tai. “ Get the prisoners on board and send them 
to me.” 

In the meantime he again ordered Tung Che-tsai 
and six soldiers into the punt to return to the boats 
at the causeway with two tins of kerosene oil, winding 


So 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


up with the remark, ‘'Do nothing until you see 
three of my rockets in the sky, then make as much 
noise as you like in sinking their boats if possible, but 
at any rate set fire to all that is above water, and the 
greater the flare you make the better/' 


CHAPTER X 

A BLOODLESS VICTOKY 

The prisoners were chained with the iron fetters 
which are used in all Chinese prisons, links of iron 
about one and a half inches long ; the one had the 
long front hair, which proved him to have been some 
time in rebel employ, whilst the other had apparently 
only recently docked his tail. Chun Tao-tai, who first 
addressed himself to the younger of the two, soon 
ascertained that it was only four days previous to his 
capture that, under promises of large profits, he had 
given up his occupation as a fisherman on the lake and 
joined the pirates and cut off his tail, and when Chun 
remarked, “ You had better encourage your tail again, 
and get steady pay as an Imperialist soldier,” he how- 
towed with much enthusiasm. 

The other was quite of a different class, and appear- 
ances were certainly not in his favour, as he bore all 
the evidences of being one of those poor devils one 
occasionally sees in China,- who would do anything, holy 
or unholy, for the sake of a pipe of opium. It is the 
poor and the very poor who show these signs of opium- 
smoking that our missionaries make so much stock 
out of, and there is no doubt that when those of the 
8i G 


82 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


lowest orders deprive themselves of necessary susten- 
ance for the sake of indulging in the pipe, the physique, 
and the morale also, falls very low. The prisoner 
before Chun was one of this type ; and as he had now 
been nearly forty-eight hours without his pipe, he was in 
a terribly nervous and distracted state. He knocked his 
head hard and repeatedly on the floor, and began with 
the regular beggar’s whine to make excuses. The 
Tao-tai brought him up very shortly, saying — 

“ I suppose you know something about what is going 
on in yonder grove ? Will you tell us what it is, or 
will you prefer ‘ persuasion ’ ? ” 

The man, like all his class, began with snivelling and 
drivelling, protesting that he knew nothing, but when 
the Tao-tai said — “ You rascal, will you die a pirate’s 
death?” he changed his story entirely, and told as 
follows : — 

Eight days ago an old man had been watched who 
was apparently trying to locate some landmark on this 
corner of the lake. The old man’s conduct had twice 
been reported to Peng Yu-lin ” (the pirate chief, who 
was actually the winner of the wrestling competition), 
but he probably thought they were the outcome of 
a crank’s brains, and had paid no attention to the old 
man’s movements, until it was reported that evidently 
the place that he wanted to find had been found in, or 
on, this mound.” 

“ How,” said the Tao-tai, “ should the proceedings of 
an old man attract any attention ? ” 

“Your most worthy Excellency,” was the reply, 
“ must know that the stories of the lost treasures that 
had been concealed during the rebellion, either by the 


A BLOODLESS VICTOR V 


83 

Wangs or the fugitives themselves, have been most 
largely spoken of, especially in that island of Tung- 
ting Shan, whose inhabitants are mostly bitterly in- 
fected ” (he spoke to curry favour) “ with the wish for 
a return of the Ming dynasty. Peng Yu-lin, being a 
native of the place, knew of these tales of hidden 
treasure, and when he heard that the old man was 
apparently interested in a mound for some reason 
unknown to anybody else, had the old man caught 
and examined him himself. The Zaou pih tow ” (old 
white head) “ at first could only be brought to say, 
that in running away from the Imperialists after the 
defeat of the rebels, he had somewhere about this place 
dropped five strings of five thousand cash, and that 
circumstances since having proved unfavourable to 
every one of his undertakings, he, being poor, had 
made a journey on the small chance of recovering the 
lost cash. 

“ ‘ You bold-faced liar,’ Peng replied, ‘ do you think 
I am such an idiot as to believe such a made-up story ? 
Five thousand cash would hardly pay your expenses to 
or from any hole. I shall try and make you tell a 
different tale.’ So, to force the Laou jpih tow to speak, 
two small bamboos steeped in bees-wax were inserted 
between the nails of his thumbs and the flesh, and 
lighted at the top, and for only about a minute could 
he stand the hideous torture. He fainted, but when 
he came to, and was again threatened with the same 
torture in each finger separately, stated that two 
years ago he had been a priest in Ningpo, and had 
been called in by a dying friend, to whom the Muh 
Wang had given his little son in charge; that this 


84 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


man, under a solemn promise of secrecy, had received 
from Muh Wang the information, that in the event of 
death he had made provision for the son that he then 
left with him (and who was still only eight) to lead 
a respectable life. The place where the money was to 
be found, and a plan of the surroundings, the dying 
man placed in my charge as a priest, and said, ‘ I leave 
the secret, the child, and the trust to you; if you 
behave justly I hope you may benefit.’ 

“ ‘ I, most honoured sir, broke my vow, and sent the 
son of Muh Wang away to his ancestors with a dose of 
opium, and hope that the fact that I have succeeded in 
finding the place and the secret of the key to where tha 
treasure lies, may make you and me rich and honoured.’ 

“ ‘ Where is the place and where the key ? ’ was 
Peng’s reply. The Laou jpih tow pointed to a mound 
on the hill above us, and after a little fumbling handed 
Peng (as far as I could see) a small plan and words. 
Peng laughed after receiving the paper. 

“ ‘ You thought it was good for the son of Muh Wang 
to join his ancestors ; I think it is better also that you 
should do so. The Muh Wang has been at times a 
friend of mine, and so we must part.’ The Laou jpih 
tow, with a heavy stone at his feet, was dumped in the 
lake. 

“ I and that other prisoner were left to take care 
of the boats alone, and the others left to search the 
mound some hours before you captured me.” 

Chun Tao-tai ordered the witness away, saying — 

“ Let the poor beggar ” (the term was slightly less 
polite) “ have the pipe of opium that he would sell 
himself for, and when we prove whether his story is 


A BLOODLESS VICTORY 


85 

true or false, we will see what we can do with him. 
The other prisoner chain to a rower s bench to work 
an oar, and tell him that it depends on himself whether 
he chooses to become again an honest man or not.” 

It had by this time become quite dark. Chun’s 
position and the number of his men were sufficient 
to guard against any attack on the part of the pirates, 
who even with four boats certainly would not muster 
one hundred men. So a hasty dinner was ordered for 
Tung Che-tsai, Chun Ti-kung, and his uncle in the 
cabin, and amongst much interesting narrative, many 
were the surmises as to what the amount of the trea- 
sure would prove, Chun Tao-tai concluding with — 

“ I believe your two prisoners and the sunken gun- 
boats are the best results we shall see. It is not well 
to be about in the night when evil spirits have power, 
and rest is proper for man, but I think that to-night 
we must give up our rest ; some one may find out that 
we have taken possession of the deserted boats and 
give the alarm, and if there should truly be treasure in 
the graves the pirates may be removing it even now. 
I shall divide our men into three parties — six men can 
destroy the enemy’s empty boats, a few can stay with 
our boats, the rest will climb the hill with me and 
surprise the pirates ; if any of these parties need help 
they will signal to the others for it by a gun and 
hoisting three lights.” 

There is no tide in the Tai-hoo, and Chun Tao-tai 
and his men landed easily, but soon found themselves 
in difficulties. Until they reached the base of the hill 
one or other of them found himself ploughing leg-deep 
in a bog that had formerly been a rice field ; then the 


86 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


creek that runs round most hills in the province had 
to be crossed in the best way it could, and then the 
bamboos and undergrowth of the hill faced. An ascent 
of three hundred feet does not seem a gigantic task, 
but with no lights and an undergrowth of nearly ten 
years it is difficult enough. 

In a short time, however, the company of sixty men 
with their leaders had gained the summit of the hill, 
and the object of conjecture, the wonderful grave, 
became visible, enclosed as usual in a reed fence, and 
with its fir-trees showing out dark against the light 
of the torches that were being used by the pirates. 
The entrance to the graveyard was facing the east, and 
Chun Tao-tai and his forces were behind it ; he deter- 
mined to divide his small strength into halves and 
meet again in front of the entrance to the grave, the 
signal to be given by one side to the other to be three 
caws of a crow — not at all an unnatural phenomenon, 
and not likely to attract attention. Chun Ti-kung was 
left a little in the rear, with two soldiers who had 
the signal rockets. His uncle told him that no forward 
movement would probably be made until a full half- 
hour after he had seen the rockets. The path was 
easy, and very soon and agreeably from the dead 
silence rose the signal “ caw, caw, caw,” and from the 
further side “ caw, caw, caw,” and again all was silence. 
A minute after, and whizz 1 brilliant firework stars 
were for a few seconds intermixed with the stars in 
the sky, whizz ! another, and whizz ! a third rocket 
went up. A thumping sound was heard from the west, 
and presently a flare from the boats below appeared, 
showing that the pirates’ boats were fired as the Tao-, 


A BLOODLESS VICTORY 87 

tai had ordered, whilst Chun Ti-kung was with his 
men racing up the hill to join their comrades. 

By the people occupied in the grave no notice had 
been taken of the rockets, but on the shore, to which 
Chun Tao-tai had turned his attention, a great com- 
motion was visible, and shortly after two or three 
runners were seen ascending towards the grave. It 
was then a matter of anxious waiting. ’ The Tao-tai 
knew that he was not strong enough to take the 
initiative safely, when ping,” the sharp sound of a 
rifle-bullet, a harsh order, and the whole space round 
the grave, which had previously been illumined with 
torches, was plunged in darkness — the light that was 
still burning in the south-west from the gunboats on 
fire intensifying the darkness on the side where Chun 
Tao-tai was. He lay on his stomach watching anxiously 
with his eyes on the grave, and all his soldiers had to 
do the same. 

A panic had seized the pirates, a set of untrained 
men unaccustomed to obey orders, some fearing that 
the redoubtable Tao-tai of Hoochow was coming with 
his soldiers, and some that spirits from the grave were 
resenting the sacrilegious attempt to remove the trea- 
sure. This was much the effect that the Tao-tai had 
wished to produce ; a stream of terrified men pushed 
through the gateway regardless of the orders of their 
leaders, and passing close to the Tao-tai’s hidden 
soldiers, raced down the hill to regain their boats and 
get away on their waiting gunboats. 

At the end of half-an-hour the welcome sound of 
boats crunching on the sand where the pirate gunboats 
lay came to their ears, and very shortly afterwards the 


88 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


news was confirmed by two soldiers who had been sent 
down to watch, that the pirates had fled from the 
island. Chun Tao-tai raised himself from the ground, 
had the signal of three “caws” again made, and very 
soon the two parties were re-united. Chun’s first 
thought then was to give rest to his men. 

“ You, Ta-thoo, and forty men,” he ordered, “ move 
up nearer to that mound, and keep some on the watch 
there for the night : provisions shall be sent up to you. 
My nephew and I will go down to the gunboats and 
determine what is to be done to-morrow. Those 
rascals have been frightened by the glare of their 
gunboats burning, and will certainly not come back 
to-night.” 

Both Chun Tao-tai and his nephew were un- 
doubtedly glad to get on the gunboat and turn in, 
and nothing happened during the night to break their 
slumbers. 

In the morning the Tao-tai’s surmises proved correct, 
and none of the pirate craft were visible outside ; the 
small boats had evidently been employed in taking off 
the crews from the mound during the night. 

The early morning found all the military of the 
expedition climbing up to the grave, instructions 
having been left with the gunboats to hurry up and 
report should anything seem to threaten them from 
the lake. The grave was soon reached, and Ta-thoo 
met the Tao-tai at the entrance to the enclosure, and 
reported that nothing had occurred during the hours 
of the night. 

The small force marched up to the mound, that had 
loomed so mysteriously in the darkness the night 


A BLOODLESS VICTORY 


89 

before under the influence of torch-light, but which 
now wore the appearance of a simple ancestral grave 
with three pinnacles; the grass and plants that sur- 
rounded it were trampled down and battered down in 
a way to show that many intruders had entered its 
precincts. The Tao-tai selected four or five of the 
privates best known to him, called them from the 
ranks, and with them and his nephew commenced to 
investigate the mystery of the grave and its surround- 
ings. Footprints were everywhere, leading hither and 
thither, and it was not till after some minutes had 
been wasted in wandering round and round, and in 
and out of the bushes, that a bunch of hollies was 
noticed by the Tao-tai not far from the back of the 
mound, which showed a path well trodden between 
them. To his nephew he said — 

“ There may be a chance of finding some clue in 
there. Go through and see if you can see anything.” 

The thicket of holly, mixed up with brambles, ferns, 
and other shrubs, was a thick one, and extended some 
way back from . the grave, whilst the opening noticed 
by the Tao-tai was so narrow that it might have passed 
as a run for hares or pheasants; but on passing through 
the thick branches, that had evidently been very tenderly 
treated by those who had passed through them either 
going or coming, the path widened considerably. 

Quite unexpectedly Chun Ti-kung almost fell over 
one of the men, who was on his hands and knees, 
and was even more disconcerted than Chun Ti-kung 
himself. 

“ What have you here ? ” 

“Nothing,” was the reply; but Chun Ti-kung, who 


90 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


noticed that the man had something in his hand, 
returned — 

“ What’s that ? ” 

A dollar was shown, which the man, in a woebegone 
way, explained that he had just seen and pocketed. 

“ You fool, give it to me,” was Chun’s reply ; but 
instead of pushing on, he began carefully to look about 
him, and after some minutes noticed that a patch of 
about two feet square in the pathway seemed much 
less worn down than the rest, so he ordered the man 
he had detected in pocketing the dollar to dig the mud 
away with his bayonet, and sure enough, about two 
inches below the surface, a flat stone was discovered, 
which might or might not mean something. Chun 
Ti-kung ordered the man to precede him, came out of 
the bushes to fetch a spade, and seeing the Tao-tai, 
told his story. 

The Tao-tai had seated himself on the grass and was 
smoking; but when Chun Ti-kung had finished what 
he had to say, he sprang up, caught the soldier a buflet 
on the ear that sent him sprawling on the grass, and 
turning to his nephew, said with a smile — 

“That foolish fellow is and always has been trying 
to steal, and is nearly always found out; the funny 
thing is, that when he succeeds he always wants to 
return his theft. I have no doubt he would have come 
back here by and by, and planted the dollar where he 
found it. This precious dollar has, however, probably 
given you the key to the grave lock, so he shall not 
be punished or rewarded. Give me that dollar, you 
thief.” 

The pirates in their hurried departure had not 


A BLOODLESS VICTORY 


91 


entirely lost their heads, and the looser earth that 
covered the stones, if it had not been for the episode 
of the dollar, might have been passed without notice. 
When the stones were removed an underground passage 
was discovered; and the Tao-tai, who had joined in 
the investigation, remarked — 

“Anybody in that hole is caught. Who volunteers 
to go and see what is down below V* 


CHAPTER XI 

MUH WANG’S TREASUKE 

Chtjn Ti-kung, mucli to his uncle’s delight, claimed 
that as his nephew he ought to be the first to go 
through the underground passage, and as only one at a 
time could descend it was allowed. 

As it proved, there was no danger attaching to the 
deed, as not a pirate had stayed, but still to drop down 
some five feet into a hole, crawl through a passage not 
more than three feet high, and find yourself in a cavern 
hardly high enough for uprightness, and half expecting 
to be stabbed or shot, requires considerable nerve, and 
no doubt as the other men also with their lanterns 
joined him in the darkness, Chun Ti-kung’s heart- 
beatings must have moderated. 

When five men had entered after him, Chun Ti-kung 
ordered the next comer to be stopped, as the space was 
not big enough to hold more with any utility, and the 
men blocking the passage tended to suffocation, although 
there was evidently some ventilation from above, which 
came through the apex of the highest of the three 
mounds. 

The light of the lanterns disclosed five or six gunny 
bags, full, and the one that had been latest packed, not 

92 


MUH WANG'S TREASURE 


93 


Laving its mouth tied, proved to be full of Mexican 
dollars. 

Chun Ti-kung, as soon as this was seen, went himself 
to report the position to his uncle, so that a strict watch 
should be placed on the entrance, as the bags and what- 
ever might be found behind passed out, 

“Black-hair-but-having-many-years,” said his uncle, 
“ it is, as you say, desirable to be on guard. Go back if 
you like, and I will see that nothing goes astray.” Chun 
went back, and the already packed bags were passed out 
and up. 

The question then suggested itself as to where was 
the remainder of the treasure that the pirates had been 
disturbed in removing, and for some time no solution 
presented itself ; the ground was dug up, the sides poked 
into, but nothing showed. At last, as for the fiftieth 
time Chun Ti-kung knocked his head against the 
ceiling, or rather top of the cabin, he noticed that instead 
of being semi-circular, as most Chinese graves are, the 
roof was level, and he called his men’s attention to the 
fact. Chinese lanterns are decorative, but not good 
illuminators, in fact unless you pull the candle through 
the shade they may be said to make darkness only more 
visible. However, after a few minutes’ scrutiny, one of 
the men noticed that in one corner five bricks looked as 
though they protruded from the rest, and pulling out 
one or two, the portion of the ceiling above evidently 
moved, and some pieces of mortar fell. Ta-thoo, who 
was one of the soldiers employed, rushed forward, pulled 
out a third brick, and then, in excitement, as more 
mortar fell, with a great effort he dragged out the two 
pthers, to find himself knocked with two other men to 


94 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


the ground by the falling back of a trap-door which was 
hung on hinges, and which being of wood, with bricks 
cemented to its outer surface to appear like the rest of 
the ceiling, swung back with considerable force. 

Three of the lanterns were extinguished by the fall of 
their owners, so that the holders of the other three, not 
having noticed what had been going on, were in utter 
perplexity as to what had happened, and as to whether 
the pirates were upon them. 

A short panic ensued, and the entrance for some 
seconds was the desire of all, but Ta-thoo, recovering 
himself, remarked in a jocular way — 

What folly to seek below the happiness that can 
only be found above.” The lanterns were re-lighted and 
the position of affairs disclosed, and Ta-thoo from the 
shoulders of his fellows crept through the opening. 
Shortly after his ascent, a helper was called for by him, 
as he excitedly shouted through the trap that the bags 
were too heavy for one man to manage. 

** Put up a plank to let the bags slide down or the 
contents may all get loose.” The plank had to be sent 
for, and was not long in being brought, but in the mean- 
time two or three bags had been pushed down through 
the opening, and the first one falling, the seam ripped, 
and showed the contents to be of shoes of sycee. 
Amongst the natives their currency, excepting that of 
copper cash and bankers’ drafts, is represented by un- 
wieldy blocks of silver of the value of about SIO. The 
whole trade of China is carried on through this uncouth 
medium. 

Proceedings were stopped for a time until some sort of 
a slide could be rigged up, and Chun Ti-kung, glad of a 


MUH WANGS TREASURE 


95 


chance of getting out of the stuffy atmosphere, climbed 
out and reported affairs to his uncle. 

“ Small beginnings have sometimes large endings,” 
was the quotation that came to his lips. Naturally both 
of them were eager to find out what quantity of booty 
there was, and when the planks from the gateway were 
fixed up, no time was lost in trundling down the bags. 

The hiding-place had been cleverly planned, and could 
only have been made with a considerable amount of 
work, and, as Chun Tao-tai remarked, 

“ Only kept secret by the loss of one or two hundred 
lives ; but then during Muh Wang’s time lives were only 
worth ten or twelve dollars. It must have been well 
managed, and in some way he must have got the better 
of his comrades. Possibly it may have been the 
treasury of some one of the temples, whose disciples 
used at one time to flock to their shrines.” 

A drop of five feet from the level of the ground left a 
space between the top level of the central mound, which 
was some fifteen feet high, in which a chamber of nearly 
six feet square had been excavated, and from this space 
bag after bag was passed down, some heavier, some 
lighter than the others. Time passed so rapidly that 
nobody thought of it, until Ta-thoo and his underling, 
who had been in a sort of stoke-hole for hours, shouted 
down that they were finished and could do no more 
work. 

It proved to be past one o’clock (when you have no 
watch the stomach is a wonderful time-keeper), and 
as the report was that a considerable number of bags 
still remained to be removed, and no attempt on the 
part of the pirates at reprisal was apparent, rice and its 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


96 

usual adjuncts of vegetables, fish, and tea were served 
out. The work was carried on by relays of men, for 
Chun was too anxious to get the unexpected find back 
to Hoochow to allow any delay. 

To finish, the number of bags finally counted turned 
out to be one hundred and sixty-nine, the value of which 
could not be ascertained without the help of the bankers ; 
and when the quantity was reported to the Tao-tai, and 
that no more were visible, his anxiety about Peng Yu-lin 
and what he might attempt in rescuing such a treasure 
increased. The treasure made quite a respectable little 
mound of its own, and the whole afternoon was spent in 
carrying it down and placing it in the gunboats. 

When this task was safely finished, at eight o’clock a 
start was made, and Hoochow reached without mishap, 
although from the number of small boats that had put 
out from Tung-ting there must have been a considerable 
stir there. 

All were thankful when they arrived. On their 
journey home the Tao-tai told his nephew that he 
should forward the treasure and a full account of its 
discovery to Peking, reserving only a small amount 
with which to reward the proper conduct of his 
soldiers. 

At this stage the faithful transcriber or translator 
remarked to the narrator — 

“Surely you have not taken all this time to tell a 
story without a climax — no seizure, no fight, no excite- 
ment ! ” The narrator answered — 

“ I tell the tale as it happened. The fighting came 
after when the Tao-tai pursued and punished the rebels, 
but as Chun Ti-kung had gone up to Peking by that time 


MUH WANGS TREASURE 


97 


those events do not fall within the story of his 
adventures.” 

It ought also to be recorded, that a considerable time 
after the events now related Chun Yu-tai received from 
Peking his full credentials as Fu-tai (Governor), but 
as the alteration of his title would only lead to confusion, 
I think it better to continue the story under the lesser 
title of “ the Tao-tai Chun,” or “ Chun Tao-tai.” 

His father also received posthumous honours, and was 
promoted to mandarin rank on account of his son’s good 
deeds. 

The fame of the Tao-tai as a determined and honour- 
able man was greatly increased in Peking by his upright 
conduct ; the authorities sent him a handsome reward 
in money, and gave him to understand that any petition 
he might present for himself, or for his newly-adopted 
son, would be favourably received at head-quarters. 


CHAPTEK XII 

UNCLE AND NEPHEW 

The Chinese peasant of the Central Provinces is 
probably one of the happiest and most contented mor- 
tals under the sun. It is admitted that his taxes, 
levied for the most part in grain for the Imperial 
Government, and increased by an equal amount that 
passes into mandarin pockets, are heavy ; that in 
the event of any disturbance the rioters are tortured 
and punished severely; and that their work is hard 
and continuous, excepting during the extremely cold 
weather. 

Still the ground repays the constant cultivation 
spent on it. At their work you always find the 
labourers chatting and laughing, and with many leisure 
minutes to spare for any unusual sight or incident. 
After work they adjourn to their tea-shops, and engage 
in dominoes or in animated discussions on the topics 
of the day, gathered from the Bhenpaou or Hupao, read 
out to them by some poor student so reduced in cir- 
cumstances that he is glad of the tea given by the 
tea-shop proprietor, and the cash subscribed for the 
interpretation of what is unintelligible to some of his 
hearers, as an addition to what he earns from teaching 
the few pupils he can find in the village. 

98 


UNCLE AND NEPHEW 


99 


The women, after their field work is over, return to 
their homes and children, and many merry games are 
played. The younger men, who have not yet learned the 
lesson of not doing more than is absolutely necessary, 
join in, and on summer evenings there reigns an appear- 
ance of relaxation and content. Perhaps, during the 
season, kite-flying is one of the games that attracts 
most attention amongst all generations, and a fight of 
kites is really exciting. The kites are wonderfully 
made and in innumerable patterns — ladies, mandarins^ 
butterflies, beetles, and perhaps the best of all, centi- 
pedes, and attain an immense height. In the fight, 
great skill has to be exercised to obtain the victory, 
which consists in bringing the string of one kite in 
contact with the string of its opponent at such an 
angle as to cut the string, when the defeated kite falls 
ignominiously to the ground, and many high words 
and explanations pass between the respective owners. 
A tale-teller comes round, and during the hot nights 
you may find half the village seated round him listen- 
ing to his stories for hours, the monotony being 
occasionally broken by the introduction of some well- 
known song or quotation, in which the listeners show 
their appreciation by murmuring the words in a sort 
of chorus. Their fairs, on certain fixed dates, attract 
great crowds, and a general feeling of jollity pervades 
them, and the visits to the temple, that is generally in 
the neighbourhood. At China New Year time, for a 
fortnight or three weeks, nothing is thought of but 
visiting, feasting, and good wishing. The best clothes 
are all brought out of their boxes, and if you have not 
a good garment to your name, you go to a pawn-shop 


lOO 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


and get the loan of one for a day or two for a consider- 
ation. The Ethiopian indeed does change his skin, for 
at times you may meet your coolie in the street and 
mistake him for a rich man ! 

It is a sad fact to realize, that such an industrious 
and energetic population should be ground down to a 
simple hand-to-mouth existence by excessive taxation, 
but, as I began by saying, they are not unhappy in 
their lives. 

At the time of Chun Ti-kung’s narrative, there was 
little of this fun going on, the country, as already 
pointed out, only having begun to show symptoms of 
recovery after the devastation caused by the Taipings ; 
but, on the whole, there was increasing satisfaction to 
the population as prosperity gradually returned, now 
that peace had been thoroughly restored. 

As the patches of ground were gradually cleared and 
sown, the soil that had lain fallow for years yielded 
splendid crops, and to those who had, or could borrow, 
a little capital, it soon became evident that a very 
new seasons would set them on their legs again. 

When the rice was just fit for harvesting, and the 
fields wanted preparing for the spring crop, whilst 
further patches were being cleared of the undergrowth, 
business at the Yamen was slack. The pirates on the 
Tai-hoo had, as usual after vigorous action, abandoned 
their practices for a time, their boats having been 
probably intentionally sunk or hidden in out-of-the- 
way corners of the lake until the vigilance shown at 
the time by the commanders of the gunboats should 
slacken. The men supported themselves in the mean- 
time by returning to their usual occupations of fishing 


UNCLE AND NEPHEW loi 

and farming. Chun Tao-tai devoted himself to the 
study of the few foreign works that had been translated 
into Chinese, while Chun Ti-kung was very glad of the 
opportunity to once again work hard at the books of 
the classics, which formed such an important part in 
his approaching examinations at Peking. 

One day, when business was over, the Tao-tai went 
to Chun s study and asked him if he had carried out 
his wishes and read the translated foreign books which 
had been provided. 

Chun Ti-kung replied — 

“ I have done so, and in many of the books there is 
much that is difficult to understand, but from them it 
would appear that foreigners have made deeper re- 
searches than ourselves on some subjects.” 

The Tao-tai said — “ It is so.” 

“ In the book they call Sacred, or heaven sent,” 
said Chun, “ all appears admirable, and none of those 
bad things could I find of which those joss-men (mission- 
aries) are accused. But in the commentaries on this 
book, I must say I dislike the impertinent way in 
which they speak of ancestral worship ; advising the 
people to abandon these our most cherished cere- 
monies. This seems to me very bad, for not only 
would it cause a dismemberment of all our family ties 
and relations, but it would, I think, to a great extent 
diminish the power of the Government itself. A parent 
could then be no longer honoured or disgraced before 
or after death through the good or evil deeds of his 
heirs, and what inducement would there then be to 
walk uprightly ? May I ask for your valuable opinion 
on the subject?” 


102 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


The Tao-tai was much pleased when, from Chun Ti- 
kung’s remarks, he found, that in spite of his other 
studies he had really read the books attentively, and 
after re-lighting his pipe and moistening his mouth 
with the fragrant green tea that stood at his elbow, he 
replied — 

“ You are a dutiful nephew, and quite right in your 
censures. When I told you to read their books I had 
no wish that you should adopt their opinions. My 
thoughts are, that we can learn much that is useful 
from them. Who that has travelled in one of their 
steamers can doubt that it is superior to a junk? 
And this steam carriage which they talk so much about, 
and which they say might go from Peking to Canton 
in a few days, why should it not prove beneficial ? ” 

Chun Ti-kung here murmured that he believed 
foreigners could tell lies, and was promptly told not 
to be a fool. 

“ Before you left Pa-li Kiao what notion had you of 
a steamboat ? Look at these lightning posts going 
up with the Imperial sanction, and by means of which 
we are to hear from Peking, Shanghai, or anywhere 
else in a few minutes, and tell me, what do you or I 
know of how the lightning is managed ? Try and 
look at what is being done without prejudice because 
foreigners are teaching us, and learn all you can. On 
the subject of religion it is quite different. What do 
all the teachers in the world know about it? What 
is there beyond the ancient doctrine of the ‘Ying' 
and the ‘Yang’? We know that there is life and 
death, light and darkness, health and sickness, good- 
ness and wickedness, luck and ill luck, pretty equally 


UNCLE AND NEPHEW 


103 


cliviJeJ ; beyond that nothing. Take care of the fields 
and the trees, and you shall have enough to eat and 
wherewith to dress, is a quotation from the Sacred 
Edict which I have always thought of more import- 
ance than the tales told by priests, in most cases for 
the dollars that they get by telling them.” 

The Tao-tai, dropping general topics, then told Chun 
in a pleasant way how helpful and useful he had found 
him, and that he had finally determined to make him 
his son and heir. 

Chun tried to express the pleasure and gratitude 
that he really felt, and then feeling almost awkward 
with the strength of his emotions, which he knew it was 
decorous to conceal, turned to the almanack and re- 
marked that the next day was the one appointed for 
beginning to wear furs, and that he saw snow lightly 
falling through the window. The old and the young 
man parted for the night, each feeling the warm glow 
of mutual sympathy. 


CHAPTER XIII 

THE TAO-TAI ADOPTS CHUH 

Affiliation in China entails a ponderous ceremony. 
The head of the clan has to give his consent, an auspi- 
cious day for the event has to be fixed by the priests, 
invitations to all friends and clansmen have to be 
issued, and a grand feast prepared. 

On the day settled upon, the guests, on arrival, were 
presented with sweets and tea, and when all those ex- 
pected had assembled, an adjournment was made to the 
hall of ceremonies, where the necessary arrangements 
had been made. 

The first operation that Chun Ti-kung had to go 
through was, after having performed the kow-tow, to 
remove his uncle’s boots and stockings, to wash his feet 
in warm water, to dry them and relace the coverings. 
He then had to dress himself in the white clothes of 
mourning, and with a willow wand in his hand, after 
touching the tablets, to prostrate himself and present 
prayers, incense, and offerings at the shrines of the 
various ancestors whom Chun Tao-tai, instructed by the 
priests, thought fit to receive the homage; the most 
important being those of the Tao-tai’s grandfather and 

father. The priests present prolonged the ceremony 
104 


THE TAO-TAI ADOPTS CHUN 


105 


with lOng chants, to the accompaniment of a hollow 
bamboo, a bell, and a drum ; paper representations of 
sycee^ horses, garments, and all sorts of commodities were 
burnt in the incense-burner placed in the centre of 
the room, after which the ceremony resolved itself into 
a feast, that continued up into the small hours. 

Chun Ti-kung had become the recognized son of 
Chun Tao-tai, and had to receive many visits of con- 
gratulation at the Yamen on the following days, in 
Chun Tao-tai’s presence, which as a matter of course 
he had to return. 

At Pa-li Kiao, on the Tao-tai having told his brother 
of the accomplished fact of the adoption, Chun’s son 
(who had the name of Chun Fei-ting) was, although 
still quite a baby, made to pose as the host of a banquet 
in his father’s honour, at which Chun Ti-kung’s father 
and brothers thoroughly enjoyed themselves. 

The wife dictated a letter to her husband in which, 
after a few complimentary phrases, she complained that 
he had not sent for her to join him in his honours at 
Hoochow. Chun had the ready excuse that his depart- 
ure for Peking was close at hand, and did not hesitate 
to avail himself of it, but promised that he would come 
and see them all on his way to the North. December 
came, and everything as regards Chun Ti-kung’s rela- 
tions with Chun Tao-tai and his future prospects were 
settled. It was determined that he should make the 
move for Peking when the Peiho River should be clear 
of ice, probably about the end of February or early in 
March. The Tao-tai had set his heart on Chun Ti- 
kung passing his examinations with honour, but at the 
same time he begged of him not to omit the oppor- 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


io6 

timity of going througli a course of study at the Pehing 
University, where instruction was given by foreign pro- 
fessors, and his words were — “ I think you will find so 
much to interest you that it will be a relief after the 
monotonous study of our classics. Use your body as 
well as your mind, and do not be afraid to take a holi- 
day when you feel overworked, as I can afford you 
plenty to live upon, and one or two years more or less, 
what are they when they are gone ? ” V ery judicious 
advice, that was pretty constantly insisted upon by the 
Tao-tai during Chun’s remaining stay at Hoochow. 

Chun had now lived three years with his uncle, and 
the time had come for his departure for Peking, where 
he intended reading for some time with a well-known 
teacher, preparatory to passing his examinations. 

The Tao-tai took an affectionate farewell of his 
adopted son, and Chun had no further excuse for 
delaying his visit to Pa-li Kiao. He wished to see his 
parents again-, and his old home, but he felt a great 
reluctance to revisiting his wife. The messages that 
she had occasionally dictated in letters from home had 
shown an unsubmissive and grumbling turn of mind, 
that was perhaps natural in a young woman so quickly 
separated from her husband, but Chun considered her 
impertinent and tiresome, and this produced a feeling 
almost of loathing against a being linked to him for 
life. 

In the natural course of events Chun’s wife should 
have followed his fortunes and lived with him ; but at 
his especial wish, and supported by his uncle in the 
matter, a family arrangement had been made that she 
and her child should remain in Chun’s old home. He 


THE TAO-TAI ADOPTS CHUN 


107 


regretted his marriage, but of course considered it 
necessary and proper that he should have a son. Chun 
now wished to see his boy, and make arrangements 
for his life and education during his absence in the 
North. 

Chun arrived at his native village early in March, 
and found no alteration in the well-remembered scenes. 
Three years had made but little change in his family. 
The exact time at which Chun would arrive had not 
been known, and his wife appeared finely dressed up to 
pay some calls in the neighbourhood, her favourite way 
of passing the time; she was not sorry to be able to 
show herself to her husband in what she considered her 
most becoming costume. In the house it was her duty, 
as a respectable first wife, to wear sombre dresses, but 
finer attire was permissible for paying visits ; her long 
upper jacket, buttoned on the left shoulder, was of pink 
brocade, with a deep border round the neck, and cuffs 
of sky-blue satin ; where the two colours joined was a 
line of black satin edged with embroidery. The finely 
kilted skirt of black gauze opened over wide trousers, 
that she wore rather long to conceal the fact that her 
feet, though small, had not been very tightly bound 
during her childhood. She had, however, pinched them 
into pointed shoes with high heels, to imitate the lily- 
foot, and she minced along with an artificial, tottering, 
step. Her thickly-gummed hair, much of which had 
been tweaked out to simulate a high forehead, was gay 
with stiffly-wired flowers and filagree silver pins. 

All this might have been charming to Chun if he 
had only happened to be fond of his wife ; as it was, he 
thought her gay clothes contrasted badly with his 


ro8 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


mother’s quiet, dark-blue dress, and he would have pre- 
ferred a more homely and sober appearance ; their little 
boy had, however, come in with his mother, and when 
Chun saw what a well-made, manly little fellow he was^ 
his irritation died out, and he could not help feeling 
proud of such a son. 

Chun gave the Tao-tai’s presents to his aged grand- 
mother, whom he found broken in memory, and lying 
in her blue-curtained, four-poster bed. She was amused 
when the satin, furs, and ornaments were opened before 
her, and was told they were sent by her son, Chun Yu- 
tai. She noticed the name, but did not grasp that the 
presents were sent by him, and burst into tears, saying 
— “Oh, my naughty, poor son, he has gone to be a 
soldier, a disgrace to our family, and I shall never see 
his face again.” Chun felt glad that his adopted father 
was spared such a depressing interview. 

The greater part of his week’s stay was spent by 
Chun in the company of his little son Fei-ting, whom 
he carried with him to revisit the scenes of his youth- 
ful dreams. The child was too young to understand, 
but his father took a pleasure in petting him, and 
built fresh lovely castles in the air, to include little 
Fei-ting. 

The more Chun saw of his wife the less he cared for 
her; he met her as rarely as possible, as he had, he 
said, vowed himself to a state of celibacy until after his 
examinations. When he had, in private, remonstrated 
with her about her talkativeness, and her impertinent 
manner towards her mother-in-law, he found that she 
had quite a temper of her own, as she asked him what 
she might do if she might not talk, and if he thought 


THE TAO-TAI ADOPTS^ CHUN 


109 


that the dirty old books he was so fond of reading were 
of any use to her. Chun came to the conclusion that 
further remonstrance would be useless, but that the 
sooner his son should be removed from his wife's influ- 
ence the better. 

Though capable of feeling strong likes and dislikes, 
Chun was not of a combative disposition, and would at 
any time rather try to slip past a difficult position than 
face it. In this he was like his mother, who, in spite of 
her strong legal position and almost unlimited powers 
as a mother-in-law, had fallen before the stronger will 
and sharp tongue of her daughter-in-law, and practi- 
cally allowed herself to be governed by the younger 
woman. 

Chun was glad when his visit came to an end, and 
congratulated himself on having maintained a proper 
attitude of respect towards his relations when it had 
been required, but he had to admit to himself that he 
had outgrown his parents and his old home. Irksome 
above all he had found the feasts given in his honour 
by his father and brothers, as much for their own plea- 
sure as for his, with nothing more to discuss at the 
prolonged sittings at table than the interests of the 
poor little village and its surroundings, his father and 
brothers meanwhile indulging in more samshu than was 
good for them. Chun had sometimes thought his 
uncle’s views of life and his opinions over bold, and 
wide beyond propriety, but at least his uncle’s convers- 
ation was interesting and stimulating, and Chun felt 
glad that fate had led him into a wider world than that 
of his native village. And so, after he had seen the 
village school-master, and found him an efficient scholar, 


no 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


capable of teaching bis son tbe rudiments of Chiuese 
learning, and had obtained his father’s consent (which 
was not necessary, but filial) to his son being sent to the 
Jesuit College in Shanghai on his seventh birthday, 
Chun was glad to shake the dust of Pa-li Kiao from 
his feet. 


CHAPTER XIV 


MURDEK AND SUICIDE 

When Chun Ti-kung arrived in Shanghai on hia 
way to Peking, he found that no steamer would leave 
for Peking for at least a fortnight. After the first few 
days spent at his old hotel “ Everlasting Spring,” he 
began to feel rather bored with his own company, and 
the thought occurred to him that he might look up his 
old acquaintance Pei, with whom he had three years 
before spent an amusing evening, although at the time 
he had thought that Pei had treated him shabbily. 
He remembered that, after all, the amusement had not 
cost him very dear, and a change of any sort would be 
well worth the money over again. He accordingly 
sought out the old clerk at Tung Yu’s bank, who had 
helped him out of his first dilemma, and asked him if 
he could furnish him with Pei’s address. 

The old clerk at once became very grave, and said 
that rumour had been busy with Master Pei’s name in 
a far fi*om complimentary manner; it was said that he 
had squandered and gambled until his father had cast 
him off, that he was living a reckless life, that nothing 
was known as to where he lived or what he lived on, 
and, to wind up, the clerk strongly advised Chun to 
have nothing to do with him. 

Ill 


112 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


It is quite possible that Chun might have followed 
this advice, but by a curious coincidence, as he was 
turning out of the alley leading to the Bank, he 
jostled against Pei himself in company with another 
young man. 

Chun was at once recognized and greeted with 
effusion, and introduced to the friend, Chang, and the 
three young men walked along the street together. 

In answer to Chun’s polite questions as to the name, 
age, and occupation of his new acquaintance, he learned 
that he was the son of a rich silkman, lately deceased, 
of Nanzing. 

Whatever might be the state of Pei’s exchequer, he 
looked as flourishing as ever ; he invited Chun to dine 
with the pair of them, and Chun was only too glad to 
accept. 

The dinner, served in a private room, was a dainty, 
not to say an extravagant one ; and as Pei was in 
rollicking spirits, and could be very amusing when he 
chose, two hours slipped away very agreeably. 

Pei then asked Chun to join them in a pipe of opium, 
but as Chun never smoked it, the two excused them- 
selves for a time, leaving Chun to smoke a cigarette; 
in about half-an-hour they returned, and dominoes were 
called for to pass the evening. Chun took a hand and 
lost a few dollars, when, as he noticed that his com- 
parative ignorance of the game appeared to irritate his 
companions, he pleaded his incapacity, and told them 
he should much prefer watching their play. 

“Well,” said Pei, “if you don’t want to play, Chang 
and I will just have a game before we go to the 
theatre; but before beginning again we must have a 


MURDER AND SUICIDE 


113 


bottle of sbamping out of wbat you have lost to the 
two of us.” 

The champagne was brought, and Pei and Chang 
drank most politely to Chuns health, and then settled 
themselves to their game, which Chun noticed assumed 
a very different aspect to the one in which he had 
played. The stakes were raised to a much higher 
limit, and extra bets were made at different points in 
the game. The luck was on Pei's side, and Chang 
soon showed that although he might be a rich man he 
could not lose gracefully. 

Chun felt very uncomfortable in looking on and 
listening, though the combinations that he watched 
being handled, looking over Chang's hand, were interest- 
ing. He was offended when after a time Chang asked 
him to move away, as he fancied that Chun brought 
him bad luck. 

Chun, really vexed, laughingly remarked to Pei — 

May I bring the bad Fungshui to your side of the 
table?'' 

Pei immediately answered, “ With pleasure.'' 

The game finished, almost incredibly, in Pei's favour, 
and after that there was a troubled quarter of an hour 
over accounts, as Chang disputed every bet that had 
been made, although all had been committed to paper, 
and even accused poor Chun of having acted as a 
confederate with Pei. 

On Chun rising in anger and advancing to choke 
the words in his throat, Chang apologized, and the 
three adjourned to the theatre, where an unpleasant 
amount of bickering between his hosts made Chun 
resolve, as he had done once before, to have no more 

I 


114 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


to do with Pei and his friends ; when he had watched 
an act of the play, he made excuses and went back to 
his hotel. 

It was two o’clock when he got there, and he slept 
till dawn, when his landlord rushed in, in a state of 
excitement, and told him that he had just heard that 
Pei had been foully murdered, and that a detective 
was waiting outside the door to take Chun to the 
scene of the murder, “as it is reported that your most 
honourable self was seen in company with him and 
another after midnight in the Ta Kwang Le Yuen” 
(the great playhouse). 

Chun admitted the fact, and replied that he was 
ready to go, but that he could hardly believe that Pei 
was murdered, as he had left him so short a time before 
in no dangerous company. 

When Chun was dressed, the detective led him 
quickly through the streets, in the brilliant dawn, to 
an English-built house at the corner of two streets. 
There was a crowd at the door; the Sikh policeman 
passed the two through into the house. The detective 
took Chun up-stairs into a small room nicely furnished 
in European style. The crimson curtains were drawn 
across the windows, the gas-jets still alight, and 
dominoes scattered about. And there on the red 
carpet, with his handsome face upwards, lay Pei with 
blood oozing from his temple, but otherwise so calm- 
looking and undisfigured, that Chun threw up his 
hands in dismay, exclaiming, “ Oh, poor Pei, who has 
done this ? ” Chun was not allowed time for thought, 
as the detective said roughly — 

“As you know Pei Tai-tsan perhaps you can say who 


MURDER AND SUICIDE 115 

this is/’ and Chun turning saw a seated figure, its arms 
outstretched on the table with the face hidden between 
them. A great pool of blood gleamed at its feet, into 
which from time to time a heavy drop splashed. 

“ I think I know,” said Chun, “ but I must see the 
face.” 

A policeman interfered, saying, “Nothing must be 
touched until the magistrate comes.” So Chun in 
terrible agitation had to wait on in another room hour 
after hour until the mandarin arrived at eleven, with 
two Chinese officials, whose duty it was to settle how 
the two men had come by their death. The magistrate 
was one of the progressive party, and had also brought 
with him an English doctor, whom he had asked as a 
favour to come and help him by giving his professional 
opinion on the case. 

At the inquest the medical evidence was first taken: 
one official, after some curious manoeuvring with lighted 
candles and incense, arrived at the conclusion that this 
was the work of a devil; the second official that a third 
party had shot both men ; but the foreign doctor, after 
examining the wounds and their direction, inspected 
the pistols, which had been left lying where they fell ; 
he then pointed out that the one on the table by 
Chang’s hand had only been fired once, but the pistol 
on the floor by Pei three times, and it was his opinion 
that Pei had shot Chang twice, as was shown by the 
wounds, and had then shot himself, for the skin of his 
temple was charred as though the pistol had been fired 
close to his head. 

It appeared from the examination of several witnesses, 
that after Chun had left the theatre, Pei and Chang 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


ii6 

had adjourned to Chang’s house to continue their 
gamble. The coolie who admitted them and brought 
them refreshments, had heard high words and a shot 
(probably Chang’s), and then three shots in quick suc- 
cession; he had run away shouting to the cook that 
there was a devil in the house; the cook would have 
fled too, but had been stopped by the appearance of 
a foreigner in his pyjamas from next door, so he had 
hidden himself. The coolie, at the advice of his 
friends, had returned; and as he was quite clear in 
his evidence that only two men had entered the house, 
Chun was freed from the suspicion of having been 
present at the murder. He reflected, with a shudder, 
that he might have spent months in prison if the coolie 
and cook had not been found to give evidence. 

Chun Ti-kung was then called as a witness, and 
found it a very unpleasant ordeal. The magistrate did 
not spare asking him how and where he had become 
associated with such a character as Pei, and the par- 
ticulars of the two occasions on which they had been 
together being brought out by a few questions, caused 
amusement that made Chun very uncomfortable. 

The magistrate, who had information as to Chun’s 
character and relations, and had all along only intended 
to give him a lesson, dismissed him saying, “You 
should have known that there is no evil to which a 
mean man will not descend, and have avoided such 
society, especially as I hear you intend trying for your 
degree.” 

The case was fully reported by the native papers, 
which declared that such an instance of depravity as 
Pei’s had not been heard of for a hundred and fifty years. 


MURDER AND SUICIDE 


117 

Chang had been little known in Shanghai, and no 
papers could be found to show how money matters 
stood between the dead men. Pei had left many bills, 
though he had paid in hard cash for his last dinner. 

Chang was the last of his line, and on this account 
the family claimed heavy damages from Pei’s father, on 
the ground that a child could not have been properly 
brought up to depart so widely from the straight 
path. They were awarded damages to the amount of 
ten thousand taels, and would probably have ruined 
Pei’s father in the end, had not Chang’s wife in Nanzing, 
who was enceinte at the time of her husband’s murder, 
given birth to a son. 

Chun had another miserable interview, this time in 
private, with the magistrate, who thought it his duty 
to talk to him seriously. He recommended Chun to 
write a full account of the affair to his adopted father, 
in order to forestall the stories that would certainly be 
invented by talebearers. 

Chun did as he was advised, and waited for the 
answer, although doing so entailed missing the first 
steamer going North. He ate the rice of mortification 
in solitude and distress, hardly venturing out of his 
quarters, as he fancied that people stared and pointed 
at him when he went out. 

The five days before the answer came seemed endless, 
but it came at last and relieved his mind. 

The Tao-tai wrote that Chun was to blame, and that 
the consequences of his folly might have been serious ; 
that he hoped this experience might teach him caution 
in choosing his friends, but that the affair was now 
finished and would soon be forgotten. “ Do not be 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


Ii8 

little-hearted,” the letter wound up. Go at once to 
Peking, and work hard, and always remember that I am 
not a fair-weather friend.” 

A steamer left next day, and in it Chun took his 
departure. He had a fair passage to Tientsin, and 
from there an uncomfortable cart journey to Peking 
without let or hindrance. 


CHAPTER XV 

GLORY AND HONOUR 

Of Chun Ti-kung’s life and experience in Peking it 
is not intended to tell at any length. 

Chun Tao-tai and he had so laid their plans that he 
had two clear years before him free from all work and 
anxiety, during which to devote himself entirely to 
working at the classical books and commentaries, and 
to perfecting his own literary powers, that he might 
be able to take his degree at the next triennial ex- 
amination. The Tao-tai himself, however, hardly looked 
for such success. 

Chun on his arrival, after searching for a day or 
two, obtained comfortable and quiet lodgings ; he might 
have lived with distant relatives in the city, but pre- 
ferred living alone that he might work in undisturbed 
peace. He began at once to apply himself diligently 
and enthusiastically to his work with a celebrated 
teacher. 

The awful time of examination found him fully 
prepared and calmly convinced of his own powers. His 
early and continuous study stood him in good stead, 
and he came out of his cell in the Examination Hall 
tired, pale, and exhausted, at the end of the three 

119 


120 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


days’ ordeal, but confident that he had done good 
work, and that the subject of his trial essay had brought 
out his capacity for fine and poetic composition, and 
that his remarkable memory had not failed to supply 
him with all the quotations and allusions necessary to 
good Chinese writing. 

Most, indeed nearly all, of the students left Peking 
directly after the examination to return to their homes ; 
but Chun was feeling so languid, and averse to making 
a move of any kind, that he resolved to wait where he 
was to hear the results of the examination. 

After an interval for careful comparing of the students’ 
papers, the official lists came out, and were published 
in Peking. 

Chun’s heart swelled and throbbed with happiness 
and gratified ambition to find that his name was 
amongst the first, and that he was the proud possessor 
of the Hanlin degree, the fourth and highest degree 
attainable. The lists were sent all over the country 
where the students were dispersed, and were read by 
many of them with weary and broken spirits, and with 
regrets that another three, six, nine, or even forty years 
had repeated the same old story of failure. 

Chun’s career was now assured; all offices in his 
country were open to him, for could he not write 
exquisite impromptu poetry ? An appointment was 
sure to be given him in the course of time. 

Whether from a morbid state of health, brought on 
by overwork, or from a kind of shyness, Chun felt 
strongly averse to returning home even for a visit ; he 
knew that feasts and ceremonies awaited him, con- 
gratulations from every one, and a public interest in his 


GLORY AND HONOUR 


I2I 


doings that he found hard to endure. He was in love 
with books and solitude, as he had been from his boy- 
hood. A telegram was sent to the Tao-tai, “ Successful 
— Hanlin — await my letter,” to which he received the 
laconic reply, “ Longevity.” 

His uncle was naturally much elated by the good 
news, but felt uneasy about the last words of the 
telegram. Why did not Chun return ; why should he 
stay away ? He feared that his boy’s health had 
suffered, but he had to wait, and spoke to no one of his 
anxiety. 

The official list of successful candidates was posted at 
the Yamen in Hoochow, Chun’s name at the top. The 
town was in great excitement that such an honour 
should have fallen to the place, though in reality the 
glory of having reared a Hanlin and his father belonged 
rather to Pa-li Kiao; in both places there were loud 
rejoicings. The enthusiasm was a little damped when 
the Tao-tai made the statement, undoubtedly disagree- 
able to him to make, that his son would not yet return, 
but that entertainments in his honour would be arranged 
and notified next day. 

Chun had written to the Tao-tai the meaning of his 
telegram, saying that he felt it would be unwise to 
break up a course of life for which he considered himself 
well suited, and which he could evidently pursue with 
good results; he would, therefore, with his honoured 
father’s permission, begin at once that course of studies 
at the Foreign College he himself had recommended 
two years before. 

Letters of congratulation and praise poured in upon 
Chun from all his friends, and from many people who 


122 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


had never met him ; this was pleasant enough, and did 
not tend to lower him in his own estimation ; but the 
letter that came from the Tao-tai really made him 
ashamed of his selfishness, though it contained no word 
of reproach. He wished that he had gone himself with 
the good news to the kind old man. 

The letter simply said that the relief in getting 
Chun’s telegram had been great. It expressed his 
father’s deep thanks and gratitude to him for his 
dutiful conduct and hardly-earned honours, and con- 
cluded : “ It has been hard for me, at my time of life, to 
deprive myself of the pleasure of seeing you with your 
glory fresh upon you; but I cannot disappoint you 
at such a time. You desire to study at the Foreign 
College. So be it. I only insist on your taking a 
month’s rest. Then do as you please.” 

Chun now thought it too late to repair his selfish 
error, but he obeyed his father on the subject of taking 
a holiday. He petitioned the Council of Preferment for 
leave to spend some further time in study before taking 
office, on account of his youth, and the rescript to such 
an unusual request appeared in the next issue of the 
Peking Gazette — “ Request granted.” 

After this Chun went away for a month’s rest to the 
Western Hills, lodging in a Buddhist temple. He 
spent his time strolling about under the beautiful trees, 
playing the flute, and dreaming to his heart’s content, 
sitting in the evening on the bench outside the gate 
beside the goggle-eyed stone dogs to chat with the 
monks. The outdoor life soon restored him to health, 
and he went back to Peking thoroughly refreshed. 

On his return he took to his new studies in the 


GLORY AND HONOUR 


123 


Foreign College like a duck to the water, and found 
them very interesting. His subjects were English and 
French, Mathematics, History, and a fair smattering of 
Natural Science. The attitude of his mind towards his 
new work was rather curious ; he looked upon foreign 
teachings as ingenious speculations. Wherever memory 
was required he learned with great ease and rapidity ; 
but he never became imbued with the Western scientific 
spirit. His new knowledge was a polish to the surface 
of his mind, and never penetrated deep enough to 
influence his inexact way of thinking of life and natural 
phenomena. The two languages, with his fine ear, he 
mastered thoroughly and quickly, and he could manage 
calculations and experiments with precision and accu- 
racy ; but he would not have acted on this knowledge, 
and it would have been quite unsafe to have left 
explosives or delicate instruments in his charge. He 
learned the Western explanation of thunder and light- 
ning ; but this theory did not expel the more poetic 
old view of spirit-voices and heavenly anger; both 
ideas found a place in his brain, and floated there 
amicably together. _ Foreign history was as romance 
to him, and he still found no diflBculty in accepting 
monstrous traditions of his own country. He learned 
that stars were flaming suns of enormous size, and 
remembered, and could tell, all the facts of astronomy 
that he learned; but underlying this new knowledge 
he had a deep, half-unconscious scepticism, and some- 
times felt a vague irritation at what he considered the 
arrogance of Western thought and action. 

It was now not necessary for Chun to work so con- 
tinuously as when he was going up for his Chinese 


124 


CHUN Tl-KUNG 


degree, and he allowed himself to accept the invitations 
of his numerous friends; he would stroll in the city 
with a congenial friend, or take rides on mule-back. 

The years slipped by in this new life with pleasant 
monotony ; he did not fail to keep up a desultory cor- 
respondence with the Tao-tai, his own family, and with 
Tung Yu, his banker in Shanghai. Chun’s money 
matters were in a remarkably flourishing condition ; it 
was not necessary, in the quiet life he was leading, to 
spend a quarter of the allowance made him by the 
Tao-tai ; and he had put by, for nearly eight years, most 
of the money he had received, including a considerable 
sum that came to him from the pirate raid. His 
banker had, with his eager consent, invested at various 
times in land and houses in Shanghai that had increased 
enormously in value. As Chun had never withdrawn 
the yearly interest, and had given Tung Yu instructions 
to go on making the same kind of investments, he 
found himself gradually growing rich. When Chun 
wrote of these things to the Tao-tai, he received the 
answer — “ It is not of great importance that you should 
save money; I spend less than I receive every year, 
and all will be yours when I die.” 


CHAPTER XVI 

WELCOME AND FAREWELL 

A TIME came at last, at the end of little more than 
five years of life in Peking, when Chun felt he had given 
enough time to study, and that he would have to take 
office and do his share of work in the world. A desire 
to travel, and see something of the foreign countries whose 
languages and ideas he had been studying, a rather 
unusual craving for a Chinaman in his position, took 
possession of his mind. He wrote of this wish to his 
adopted father, and, instead of receiving a rebuff, as he 
almost expected, the Tao-tai had replied that, if he were 
the age of his son there would be nothing that he should 
like better for himself, and that, as he knew the Ambas- 
sador who was to be sent next to England, he would use 
his influence at Peking to procure Chun’s appointment 
to the position he desired, as interpreter to the Marquis 
Rung. 

This application, one of the few the Tao-tai had ever 
made to the Peking authorities, was favourably received, 
and Chun was ordered to call on Marquis Kung, who 
welcomed him cordially, and promised the appointment. 
“ What greater pleasure could I have,” said the great 
man, " than to take with me to England a son of your 
125 


126 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


father and a scholar of the Hanlin degree ?” He sent 
many complimentary messages to the Tao-tai, and 
advised Chun not to delay his departure for home, as, 
although he did not expect to leave China for six 
months, their going might be hastened ; for the Ambas- 
sador then in England was in failing health, and had 
applied for leave to return to China. 

With some regret, Chun prepared to leave at once 
a life that had suited him so well, and wrote to his 
adopted father to expect him in Hoochow in ten days, 
and managed to make his journey home in that time as 
he had calculated. 

His hired house-boat reached Hoochow just as the 
short-lived dusk was falling, and as he neared the walls 
the sound of gongs and crackers showed that he was 
looked for and seen ; so hastily diving into his cabin, 
he exchanged his shabby blue travelling clothes for his 
new official dress. Passing through the water-gate, he 
saw boats anchored on each side of the creek in that 
still ruined and dismantled part of the city, with 
lanterns displayed from mast-top to water-mark. Flags 
waved from the shore, bombs and crackers innumerable 
burst and snapped, while horns and drums made 
uncouth additions to the general row. 

Instead of being allowed to use the back entrance to 
the Yamen, he had to pass down the narrow side pas- 
sage on a carpet of red cloth to the front gates, which 
had purposely been kept shut. Chun advanced and 
knocked with proper modesty at the small right-hand 
gate of the entrance. 

“Who is there?” was asked from inside the 
gate. 


WELCOME AND FAREWELL 


127 


“The unworthy son of his Excellency Chun Yu-tai,” 
he replied. 

The two large central gates were at once thrown open 
wide, and the Tao-tai stepped forward. Chun made 
low and repeated bows, and the two men passed through 
the court into the Yamen hand in hand. 

The place was crowded with friends and acquaint- 
ances eager to do honour to such a distinguished scholar 
as Chun. He was glad to find that the visits and 
merrymakings, official and private, in the next two 
weeks, caused him less vexation of spirit than in former 
days, and that he could endure with smiling indifference 
much talk from obvious flatterers and ignorant bores, 
that would in his earlier years have set his sensitive 
young nerves tingling with irritation. 

Three months were spent very contentedly and hap- 
pily by the father and son together in the bright 
autumn weather; they enjoyed each other’s society, 
and discussed gaily every subject that arose. They did 
not always hold the same opinions, and the Tao-tai’s 
admiration for foreigners and their institutions still 
remained greater than Chun’s. 

“ Your spirit keeps younger than mine, my father,” 
Chun would laugh ; “ I cannot so easily get rid of the 
beliefs and customs to which I was bom and bred.” 

“Why should you drop your old faiths, my son, 
although you should adopt some of the foreigner’s 
inventions ? ” said the Tao-tai. 

“ The foreign professors,” answered Chun, “ teach 
that an active faith in science, and the unalterable 
laws it has discovered, is necessary to the proper under- 
standing and management of these inventions, and that 


128 


CHUN Tl-KUNG 


this same active belief in science is logically incom- 
patible with our faith.” 

“Is their religion, then, logically compatible with 
their knowledge ? ” asked the Tao-tai. 

“ No, my father,” said Chun ; “ on this subject alone 
they discard their scientific principle, but they call 
their religion above science, and ours beneath it.” 

The two men laughed. 

“ From what I have seen of foreigners,” Chun con- 
tinued, “ I think that now-a-days Western religion is 
only held true by the paid teachers of it, by women, 
and by some old men.” 

“But, my boy,” said the Tao-tai, “this Western 
rehgion was certainly held true by the great Gordon.” 

“Ah,” said Chun, “that is probably why some 
foreigners say that Gordon was partly mad.” 

“ You have still to see the working of these ideas in 
foreign lands, and I envy you the chance,” said the old 
man. 

Both were sorry when a sudden notice was sent from 
Peking that the new Ambassador would leave for 
England on the 1st of January, and that Chun must 
join the Marquis Kung, and begin his duties as inter- 
preter a week before that date in Shanghai. The 
Tao-tai almost regretted having given his consent to 
the scheme of travel ; and he made Chun promise not to 
stay away from him longer than the two years to which 
he had agreed. 

“As regards Fei-ting, my grandson,” he said, “author- 
ise his masters to let him come here in the holidays, 
and to send his school reports to me, and I will look 
after him in your absence.” 


WELCOME AND FAREWELL 


129 


On arriving in Shanghai, Chun’s first care was to 
visit his little son Fei-ting at school. He was glad to 
see the boy, now nearly eight years old, looking sturdy, 
handsome, and in every way satisfactory ; his teachers 
gave a good account of his conduct and ability. He 
was shy at first with his young father, whom he did 
not remember at all ; but after Chun had taken him 
out to luncheon, and given him a silver watch, the shy- 
ness wore off, and the child became friendly and talk- 
ative. When I am old, thought Chun, will my boy 
leave me as I leave my adopted father whom I like and 
respect so much ? The boy cried when his father left 
him at the school and said good-bye. Chun smiled at 
the tears. 

“ I never cared for any one enough to mind leaving 
them,” he mused. “ It is well to have one’s affections 
under control ; but perhaps it is a little dull. If that 
impossible princess of my dreams should come to me, 
gracious, lovely, and gifted, could I not forget myself at 
her side, and feel " for once the happy intoxication of 
love?” 


CHAPTER XVII 

OVER THE WESTERN SEAS 

« 

On the day fixed, the Marquis Kung and his suite 
started for England in the mail steamer. Chun Ti- 
kung and the secretary shared a first-class cabin, far 
better, as Chun at once saw, than the quarters given to 
Chinese first-class passengers on the coast steamers. 
His companion’s habits subsequently proved a great 
annoyance to him. 

The other members of the .staff were apportioned, 
some to the second, and some to the third class, and 
were neither wanted nor seen on the voyage. The 
steamer was far larger than any in which the Chinamen 
had travelled before, and they walked up and down, 
making comments on the breadth of beam, the strength 
of the bulwarks, and the length of the ship, coming to 
the conclusion that no sea could make her uncomfort- 
able, for no water was strong enough to make such a 
vessel rock. 

The sight of the engines through the skylight in- 
spired Chun with an ode, — that was subsequently much 
admired by his countrymen — in which he compared 
the forces that sent the boat through the water to over- 
powered demons coerced to man’s service, the puffs of 
130 


OVER THE IVES TERN SEAS 


131 

steam, the smoke, the throbbing, representing their 
protests against their hard and ignominious slavery. 

At the first luncheon on board, the three Chinamen 
had seats together, and Chun did not know if he were 
more amused or disgusted with the conversation of two 
English ladies who sat next to him, and who were going 
to Hong Kong. They had discovered that the Marquis 
and his secretary knew no English, and not thinking 
that Chun might understand, talked to each other with 
the utmost freedom, remarking on the clothes and 
appearance of the three Chinese, alluding to the horrid 
custom they had of wearing long nails, and envying the 
sable coat which the Marquis had thrown over the back 
of his chair. The captain was not present at this 
meal, and the two ladies had quite a field day. 

The Marquis and Chun kept up a desultory convers- 
ation together, and once or twice when the Marquis 
asked Chun, “What are these chattering magpies 
saying ? ” and Chun told him, he grinned so broadly that 
the Englishwomen began to suspect that the horrid 
men understood their remarks, and turned their talk to 
less personal topics. 

Before the next meal it became known on board that 
Chun was the Ambassador s interpreter, and the ladies 
made their apologies through the captain for any 
thoughtless speeches they had made. The Marquis 
and Chun expressed themselves quite satisfied. 

The lady next Chun then quite changed her tactics, 
and devoted her conversation entirely to him, asking 
innumerable questions, and probing . curiously into his 
past life and future prospects to such an extent, that 
Chun, who had never talked to a foreign lady before, 


132 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


and who had a very decided opinion as to the shame- 
lessness of such conduct on the part of a female, said 
quite quietly, but in a voice that from its slowness and 
clear articulation carried far,*' Please be silent.” Coming 
as this did after the ladies’ apologies, the captain was 
seized with an explosive attack of coughing ; the cough 
seemed contagious round the table, the general talk 
was suspended for a minute or two. Chun meanwhile 
told the Marquis that foreign women seemed entirely 
devoid of propriety. 

Alas for the stability of the strongest steamer ! Chun 
had thought that, after his experience of travelling to 
Ningpo and Tientsin, he had arranged his things 
securely in the cabin ; but as the vessel began to take 
long steep rolls, his baggage seemed to become animate 
— one basket with a cover of string network leaped on 
to the sofa, scattering its contents on the floor. Chun, 
trying to reduce things to order, suddenly felt himself 
very unwell, and had to call the steward. Neither 
he nor the Marquis knew much about anything 
more until the anchor was let down in Hong Kong 
harbour. 

Here they had to land to pay some calls ; during the 
rest of the voyage, until they had passed through the 
Suez Canal, both of them thought they had known the 
worst of sea-sickness, and really enjoyed the interesting 
voyage. 

Asiatics seldom travel first-class, and many of the 
passengers thought and showed that they felt it to be 
obnoxious to be in such close proximity to Chinamen. 
However, Chun’s habits of cleanliness were in his 
favour, and before Singapore was reached he had made 


OVER THE WESTERN SEAS 133 

himself rather popular with a fair number of his fellow- 
passengers. 

Like many of his countrymen, he was fond of children, 
and would play with those on board, much to their 
amahs\ if not always to their mothers’, delight; his 
game of cat’s-cradle was much admired and imitated 
by the bigger children. 

If by chance Chun wandered into the smoking-room, 
there was generally some chaff, which he did not under- 
stand, about his taking a hand at poker. Some domino- 
players, seeing that he was attracted to their quarter of 
the room, asked if he would like to play; he was 
pleased, and proved himself no mean antagonist, for he 
had in late years played constantly in Peking, with 
dominoes too that require a better memory than the 
western game, as the numbers run higher. 

After passing the Suez Canal, the steamer met the 
Mediterranean in one of its most sulky moods, and the 
sea-legs of the Chinese failed them utterly; they re- 
mained in their cabins in patient suffering until they 
arrived at Southampton. Here they were met, and at 
once escorted to London, to their own embassy, in 
rather a dilapidated condition. 

Chun felt much interested in travelling for the first 
time by train, but he carefully kept a calm demeanour 
in the most correct manner. “The superior man 
betrays no emotion in new circumstances.” Feeling 
rather tired after the rough tumbling and pitching 
endured during the previous days, he fell into a doze, 
and dreamed that he was flying through the sky on a 
fiery dragon, which, in spite of hideous noises made to 
frighten it off, managed to swallow the moon and cause 


134 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


a total eclipse, when Chun woke with a start to find 
they had plunged into a tunnel. 

The outgoing Ambassador was glad to see the 
Marquis Kung, and gave him and his suite a hearty 
welcome. He had petitioned for leave more than nine 
months before, having found the English climate too 
trying for him, and rather sourly remarked, after a 
nasty fit of coughing — 

“ Our paternal Government has seen fit to relieve me 
of my office at last, but I am doubtful if they have not 
also relieved me of my life by keeping me here until 
the fogs came again. May better fortune attend my 
far more gifted successor.” 

The Marquis protested against these gloomy fore- 
bodings, but the poor man proved right, and died on 
his return voyage just as he reached Hong Kong. The 
Marquis Kung did his best to hasten the sick man’s 
departure, and the whole new staff worked hard and 
continuously for some days in order to grasp the 
situation of affairs, and fit themselves for their new 
duties. 

It was the dull season in London, so that, with the 
exception of a few dinners to the outgoing and incoming 
Ambassadors, and receiving and returning the visits of 
the representatives of the Powers of the earth, their 
society engagements were not numerous. 

Chun Ti-kung found plenty of work in translating 
numerous official communications, and had always to 
attend the Marquis at any interview with Englishmen, 
but he rarely found it necessary to be in the office 
beyond the hours of ten to four, and was getting rather 
tired of the monotony before May came, and with it 


OVER THE WESTERN SEAS 


135 


many more invitations, as the season began, to all sorts 
of functions. 

The position of a Chinaman in foreign countries is 
not generally a happy one ; his dress is too peculiar to 
admit of his living a free life, and he has no chums 
outside his own Embassy. Chun tried at times to wear 
foreign clothes, in the hope of going about town to see 
life without being so conspicuous and attracting con- 
stant attention, but no English hat could effectually 
conceal his queue and shaven pate, so he had to resign 
himself to being stared at, laughed at, and even shouted 
after as a comical curiosity whenever he went beyond 
the doors of the house in which he lived. 




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PART // 


CHAPTER I 

AN ENGLISH MAID 

John Scarth many years ago published a pamphlet 
in China called China for the Chinese, and coming out as 
it did when the country was in the throes of the Taiping 
rebellion, it was much read by those interested in 
China, and found many adherents. The principles laid 
down were, that it was beneath the dignity of a great 
nation like the Chinese to submit to the yoke of an 
inferior race such as the Manchus, and that the rebellion 
merited encouragement rather than suppression. 

The rebellion, as previously pointed out by Chun 
Tao-tai, had no root in itself and died its death, and 
the pamphlet would not have been mentioned here 
(it will probably now be remembered but by few) had 
not a copy of it found its way to the back of some 
books in a book-case in an old library at Bayswater, 
and fallen into the hands of a young English lady, 
whose chief amusement lay in the reading of any and 
many books. Twenty years and more had aged the 
world, and the dynasty had not been changed ; but the 
arguments, tersely and strongly put, were still of equal 
interest, and took hold of the imagination of Nellie 
Serjeant to such an extent that she really became 

139 


140 


CHUN Tl-KUNG 


entliusiastic on matters Chinese, and took considerable 
trouble in obtaining from the libraries what books she 
could bearing on the nation, its history, manners, and 
customs. The library was a nice shady place, situated 
at the back of an old house, and looking on to a garden 
where the patches of green gave rest to her eyes when 
wearied with plodding through some of the mysteries 
of a little-understood civilization, or the vagaries of a 
new novel. 

To give some clue to the girl’s character, and a 
glimpse at her life and surroundings, a short retrospect 
is necessary. When nine years of age she had lost her 
mother, and was left to the care of her father and two 
sisters, the youngest of whom was six years older than 
Nellie. Her father was then struggling in a small way 
as a South American commission agent, and the conse- 
quence had been that her sisters had not been able to 
obtain other than a very incomplete education. Two 
years afterwards Fortune turned her wheel, and Mr. 
Serjeant, by a speculation in coffee, when that crop had 
failed in Brazil, made a handsome fortune. It was hinted 
that he had acted on orders from abroad, and that had 
foresight had its rights a moderate commission would 
have been his wage ; but the telegraph wires were out. 
of order at the time, and the time that had elapsed 
before communication was restored, had sent the coffee 
market mad, so that, as his transactions were made 
through various channels, it was almost impossible to 
prove whether he had actually received the orders 
before or after he went in for the quite unusual specu- 
lation. That his for^tier friends abroad were not sparing 
of their abuse, and that he gave up his commission 


AN ENGLISH MAID 141 

business are facts, but then as he remarked — “ I have 
worked hard and am content to retire on my laurels.” 
He was a pompous, self-conceited little man, but suffi- 
ciently wise to avoid any serious ventures after his 
run of luck, although to hear him talk at his city 
Club, you might have been led to believe that he was 
still a heavy speculator, had you not perceived that his 
remarks hardly carried weight, although his fellow 
members were willing enough to listen to him when 
he invited them to lunch or dine with him at the Club, 
which he was very fond of doing. At one of these 
dinners he was told of a great bargain that was in the 
market, a house, fully furnished, that was to be sold 
at Bayswater, belonging to an old family that had come 
to grief This house he had sense enough to secure, 
and in it the Serjeant family had been settled for ten 
years. 

Nellie's two sisters had entirely given themselves 
over to the pleasure or misery of husband and society 
hunting, so that as a natural consequence she had been 
very much relegated to the society of her governess 
and masters, and had developed a taste for reading 
and day-dreaming unusual in a girl of twenty- one. 
She was brown-haired, grey-eyed, and far from bad- 
looking, with a neat, rather small figure, and small 
hands and feet. She did not care for society except- 
ing when lawn-tennis or any active exercise was its 
object; and until lately, when both her sisters had 
succeeded in getting engaged to be married, they had 
been only too glad to leave her in the background. 
Nellie was content but very reticent. At the time 
when she first makes her appearance in this story, she 


142 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


was much annoyed at finding that her sisters, instead 
of, as formerly, paying little attention to her move- 
ments, were now constantly insisting on the wrong- 
fulness of her secluding herself so much. They had 
gone so far as to induce their father, whom in a way 
Nellie loved, and to whom she felt grateful for a good 
education, to express a wish that she would go about 
more and be more companionable, like her sisters. 

On a certain May afternoon, when she was enjoying 
herself in her sanctum, the two sisters, smartly and 
rather loudly dressed, bounced into the room and 
exclaimed almost simultaneously — “ Really, Nellie, this 
is too bad. Here are we all ready to start; you 
promised to be ready at three, and here you are 
muddling your head over your stupid books when we 
ought to be at Baislay ! ” 

Nellie, without attempting excuse, ran out of the 
room to change her dress, whilst her sisters fidgeted 
about grumbling. Baislay was a house in Kensington 
inhabited by a rich widow. Lady Withington, who had 
at some previous garden-party met and taken a fancy 
to Nellie ; hence this the first invitation to the house, 
which was considerably higher in the social scale than 
most houses the Serjeants visited at. 

Lady Withington was a widow of the age of thirty; 
she was a great reader, and took much delight in all the 
newest distractions in the way of authors, artists, or 
travellers whom she could manage to induce to come 
to her gatherings. Although she persistently declared 
that she would never marry again, many were of 
opinion that with her well-dressed and rather hand- 
some figure and pretty face, and especially with her 


AN ENGLISH MAID 


145 


well-filled purse, she would be far from disagreeable 
as a companion through life ; her invitations were not 
often refused, and she had many suitors with whom 
she flirted at arm’s-length. On this particular afternoon 
she was greatly elated at having, through a little 
intriguing with Foreign Office friends, obtained a 
promise from Marquis Kung and his suite to be present 
at her garden-party. While she was welcoming the 
Serjeants, she was really fretting under the yoke of 
Chinese politeness (that is the politeness of being un- 
punctual), when his Excellency, with Chun Ti-kung as 
his interpreter and his suite, advanced towards her 
across the lawn. The fantastically-dressed figures were 
a novelty to most of the guests. Their flowing silk 
robes, thick-soled black satin boots, round beaver hats 
with differently-coloured buttons and peacock feathers 
in some of them, created a flutter of excitement, and 
all eyes turned and watched with amusement the 
Marquis’s grave bow of salutation and his limp hand- 
shake, the remainder of his suite bowing in conformity. 
Young Marston of the Foreign Office, who was an 
old friend, then introduced Chun Ti-kung to Lady 
Withington, and pleading as an excuse for his de- 
parture pressing business of which the Marquis was 
cognizant, left the whole party on her hands. She felt 
inclined to be angry, but when on turning to Chun 
and asking him if his Excellency would like to walk 
round the garden, the answer came back, translated into 
almost perfect but slowly-spoken English, that his 
Excellency would like for a time to watch the game, 
that was new to him, her awkward feelings vanished ; 
and chairs being brought for the party, she soon found 


144 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


herself busily engaged in trying to explain through 
Chun the intricacies of lawn-tennis. The Serjeants 
had also been furnished with chairs near the others ; 
the suite, excepting Chun, who sat, standing rather 
disconsolately behind the Marquis’s chair. Nellie, 
with her last enthusiasm in full career, followed the 
conversation with keenest interest, eagerly scanning 
the appearance of the Marquis and the other members 
of the Legation. Most of them were rather old and 
fat-faced, and not heroic in any way ; Kung’s questions 
were shrewd. 

The conversation lasted some half-an-hour, during 
which tea and cakes were served, and Nellie’s sisters 
had left to join one or other of the sets of tennis, Nellie 
declining to play. She observed that all the Chinamen 
refused cream to their tea, and the polite backward 
shake of the hand with which they did it. 

The talk over. Lady Withington and the Marquis 
rose and began to stroll round the garden and through 
the hot-houses; Nellie followed, with Chun at her 
side ; their talk could only be disjointed, as the services 
of his interpreter were constantly called into request 
by the Marquis. Chun was good-looking, and taller 
than most of Kung’s suite, whilst the robes and thick- 
soled boots added considerably to the semblance of 
height. His figure had quite formed during his five 
years’ residence at Peking, and the year that he had 
already spent in England. His manners he had care- 
fully trained to that calm and slightly cynical style 
aimed at by the followers of Confucius. He was slim 
and wiry, and when he shook hands at parting, Nellie 
noticed with a strange thrill his typical Chinese hands 


AN ENGLISH MAID 


145 


— cold, sinewy, small and taper-fingered, suggesting 
curiously the idea of cruelty. 

“ Good-bye, Miss Serjeant,” he said ; “ I hope that 
this will not be the only occasion that we meet.” 

Every word was quite separated from the other, and 
rather slowly spoken, his r s were generally turned to 
Ts, and the th was a trial to his tongue. Lady 
Withington, when their guests had left, patted Nellie 
on the back and laughingly remarked — 

“ Thank goodness that is over ; no fear of our losing 
our hearts to those peacocks ! It has been very good 
of you to have helped me out. We will have a glass 
of claret cup to revive our exhausted frames, and then 
I must run away and see if my other guests have left 
me and fled.” 

Nellie, a little vexed at the speech, took the claret 
cup; but finding that some final tennis sets were 
being formed, she was eagerly snapped up, and soon 
lost herself in the excitement of the game. 

The London season was at its height. The Serjeants’ 
position in society had been gradually improving for 
some time past, and had been considerably improved 
by their appearance at Lady Withington’s. Invitations 
began to come from unexpected quarters. Her sisters 
now found no difficulty in persuading Nellie to go with 
them to any sort of entertainment when there appeared 
to be a chance of increasing her knowledge of China 
and Chun Ti-kung. They met on several occasions, 
and Chun Ti-kung, when his duties would permit him, 
was only too glad of a companion who would talk to 
him as one reasonable being to another, and not only 
constantly ask what he thought of this or that, and 


146 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


whether he did not think the West far better than 
the East. So their acquaintance gradually ripened; 
Chun Ti-kung with her was quite willing to admit 
that many things he saw were very superior to any- 
thing to be seen in China, whilst on the other hand 
he would point out that in some things he still thought 
China took the lead, especially in the matter of the 
starving poor in cities, who numbered, he thought, con- 
siderably less in most of the cities of his land than in 
London. It showed a widened view for Chun Ti-kung 
to admit that China had not everything possessed by 
other Powers. 

Nellie could not help seeing that smiles and remarks 
were made as Chun Ti-kung’s intimacy with her in- 
creased ; but these rather stimulated her in her course 
than otherwise, and when, during conversation, she 
found that Chun had never visited St. Paul’s or 
Westminster Abbey, she insisted that on the first 
spare afternoon he should go with her and see them. 
Such an invitation would have been decidedly forward 
in an unmarried Chinese lady, and rather took away 
Chun’s breath ; but he refiected that “ the perfect man 
has no immutable sentiments of his own, for he makes 
the mind of mankind his own,” and consented. 

Chun admired freely the dome of St. Paul’s and the 
grand proportions of the buildings. Before they left a 
choral service began, and they sat down for a few 
minutes and listened to some psalms chanted to 
Gregorian music, which Chun whispered to Nellie 
reminded him of his priests at home. With West- 
minster Abbey he was less impressed; his attention 
was much distracted by the numerous statues and 


AN ENGLISH MAID 


147 


busts of England’s great men. When they came out 
Chun said — 

“ I thought you only had one Heavenly Father, and 
yet in there you seem to have hundreds.” 

Nellie explained that they were statues of our 
greatest men who had been in the Church, in pohtics 
in war, and in writing, when his answer was— 

“ Do you mean to say that some of your men were 
twice as tall as my father ? ” 

Nellie was puzzled what to reply, and said, concealing 
a smile — 

“ I have never thought why some of the statues are 
so much out of proportion with the others. I suppose 
that it was a matter of the sculptor’s taste.” 

When Nellie arrived at home in a cab with Chun 
(whom she asked to tea, but he declined), the vials 
of her sisters’ wrath broke over her — “Are you not 
ashamed of making yourself so conspicuous with that 
yellow - skinned Chinaman ? You know you had 
promised to go with us to those theatricals at Gran- 
wood, and we waited for you for half-an-hour, until 
James told us you had gone out with that man. 
When we arrived without you we were ready to sink 
with shame when asked why you had not come ; and 
worse still, when Lady Withington came into our 
group, shaking hands and laughing, ‘ Oh, this is too 
romantic ! Fancy naughty Nellie playing truant with 
one of the nobility of China ! ’ It was too bad ; even 
James had the impertinence to grin when he told us 
where you had gone.” 

Nellie’s temper was roused, and as she left the room 
she answered — 


148 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


“ Please remember that I am my own mistress.’^ 

So pride and obstinacy were further enlisted on the 
side of what was afterwards called “such, a sad 
infatuation.” 

The sisters endeavoured to bring parental authority 
to bear in the matter, but Mr. Serjeant was at that 
time puzzling his brains over arranging return garden- 
parties and dinners to those who had been entertaining 
his daughters and himself. He pooh-poohed their 
fears as childish nonsense, for he still thought of Nellie 
as a child, and asked them to assist him in making up 
lists of the people to be invited, and all the rest of the 
programme. The task was so entirely congenial and 
so unexpected that Nellie’s affairs were quite thrown 
into the shade. Chun Ti-kung and she used pretty 
constantly to meet and talk at all sorts of concerts and 
entertainments without being called over the coals. 
Out of mischief. Lady Withington looked on at and 
enjoyed assisting the growing intimacy. Nellie was 
for the time prime favourite, and when by chance (?) 
there was an orchid or some other rare flower in the 
conservatory that had “ Sinensis ” on its label, “ My 
dear Nellie,” she would say, “ I do so wish you would 
ask Mr. Chun Ti-kung the Chinese name of that new 
flower that I showed you this morning — I do so love to 
know things by their real names ; ” and if half-an-hour 
elapsed before Nellie could learn the strange Chinese 
sounds and their proper inflection correctly, who could 
wonder ? When, to one of his dinners, Mr. Serjeant 
asked an old friend who for years had been Consul at 
one of the Chinese ports, he said to his eldest daughter, 
‘ ' I wonder if there would be any chance of getting round 


AN ENGLISH MAW 


149 


that Marquis and his interpreter ; he seems to be going 
everywhere, and I am sure that to get Austin to talk to 
him and translate what he thinks of things would be 
good fun, as well as a great honour to us. Try if Nellie 
can work it.'’ It must be admitted that the sisters 
expostulated, saying that Nellie was already making 
herself the talk of the town, and that they thought 
they had better not ; but Mr. Serjeant was swelling with 
importance and self-satisfaction at having a possible 
chance of a Marquis dining in his house; and the 
sisters, partly influenced by the same idea, and anxious 
to impress their future husbands, who were to be 
present, gave way, and asked Nellie if, after all her 
kindness to him, she thought Chun Ti-kung could 
persuade the Marquis to come with him to dinner on 
that day fortnight. Nellie was at first inclined to hold 
aloof, thinking, how can they ask, or expect me to ask, 
a favour, after the way in which they talked about him ? 
But then hearing that the Consul would be present, 
and drawing her own conclusions that Chun Ti-kung 
in consequence would not be required to interpret all 
the evening, she changed her mind, perhaps curious to 
see if Chun Ti-kung s friendship would bear the test, 
and at any rate anticipating a nice long talk with him 
during the evening. She sent a note to him asking 
him to call, as she had something to say to him. Chun 
had been drifting as well as Nellie further than either 
thought. The principal business at the Office had 
been for some weeks little more than reading and 
answering the invitations that flowed in from all 
quarters, and attending the various functions that the 
invitations meant. He had to confess to himself that 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


ISO 

the pleasantest hours he found were those that he spent 
with Nellie : that when with other ladies there was a 
feeling of being patronized which he resented ; whilst 
when left after dinner with the men, or when joining 
them in the smoking-room, his perception was keen 
enough to show him that his presence was a bore, often, 
if a conversation were going on, causing a dead pause. 
Now and again he would come across some one who 
was interested in him and his country and thoughts ; but 
with him, as with most Chinese in London, the life was 
a very solitary one. 

Nellie’s summons was answered by him in person in 
the afternoon of the day that he received the note ; and 
when after a good deal of hesitation on her part, he 
came to understand the favour she was asking for her 
father’s sake, he smiled and remarked that it was 
nothing, and he would do much more for her sake, 
promised her an answer next day, and then, accepting 
the tea offered, he chatted on other matters until many 
visitors interrupted the tite-a tete. 

Chun Ti-kung, having taken the Hanlin degree, was 
in China higher in literary rank than the Marquis, who 
had contented himself with the third degree, so that 
his opinion had great weight with the Marquis, who, on 
hearing his request, readily agreed. Chun, calling for 
the book of engagements, cancelled one that had been 
already settled for the day named, writing across it 

Send excuse,” and posted the Marquis’s and his own 
red cards of acceptance to Nelly. 


CHAPTER II 

THE EAST WOOS THE WEST 

On the succeeding day Chun felt he had an excuse 
for calling at the Bayswater house to see that the 
answer had not by any chance miscarried, and was 
shown into the library. Nellie was standing ready to 
receive him. 

“ Thank you so much for your kindness to my small 
self,” she said, laughing at her own imitation of Chinese 
politeness; and Chun, falling in with her humour, really 
koyj-tmved, that is, went on his knees and knocked his 
forehead thrice on the floor. He did not do the regulation 
three times kneeling and nine knockings ; he thought 
to himself as he did this, that rather than be caught 
in such an attitude to a woman he would sacrifice his 
right hand ; but aloud he only said, “ The kindness is 
altogether on the side of your noble self in inviting 
us.” 

The suddenness of the action, which she had naturally 
never witnessed before, and in all probability would 
never see again, took Nellie quite by surprise; but 
Chun, having recovered himself rapidly, came to her 
relief, saying — 

“ You have often asked me what the how-tow was like, 


152 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


and now you have seen for yourself, but remember it is 
a secret between you and me.” 

“ Certainly, certainly ; how nice of you to explain 
things which I could not really understand ; it is quite 
plain to me now what I read in the newspapers some 
time ago, that the Ambassador of England had refused 
to how-tow to your Emperor,” blushing and laughing. 
“It is not dignified, and I don’t want you to do it 
again. Be sure I shall never forget, and I shall never 
tell tales out of school, but thank you, thank you very 
much.” 

“ Your slightest wish is, you see, my law.” 

The acquaintance was certainly ripening, and as in 
the course of conversation which followed, it transpired 
that Chun had still left unexplored the British Museum 
and the National Gallery, two appointments were made 
to visit them together during the following fortnight. 
Nellie after the epoch of the invitation certainly took 
her own way, and although she was hardly of suf- 
ficient importance to figure in Society papers, yet great 
curiosity was aroused, and surmises made as to the 
possibility of an English girl giving herself to a China- 
man ; bets were passing freely on and against the event. 
Her own feelings at the time must remain a mystery; 
a strong attraction she must have felt, strangely mixed 
with an almost weird feeling of fear when out of Chun’s 
company. As to her acceptance or rejection of Chun’s 
offer if he made one, she could not decide, but left the 
decision to the hour and the mood. Of Chun’s conduct 
there is no expression to be used except — blackguardly; 
but in after years he long and bitterly repented his 
duplicity. 


THE EAST WOOS THE WEST 


153 


As a Chinaman, there was nothing wrong or unusual 
in taking to himself a second wife; but the very fact 
that during his conversations with Nellie he had never 
alluded to his position as a married man, showed that 
he was aware that if Nellie knew he had a wife 
living, it would probably put a stop to their further 
pleasurable and unrestrained intercourse. He con- 
cealed the facts : a subtle vein of deceit and self-con- 
ceit ran in Chun’s mind, and he reasoned that it was 
for her or her friends to learn his antecedents; and that 
after all was said and done, a foreign woman must be 
considered honoured by becoming even a second wife 
to a Chinaman who had taken the highest degree. 
However his conduct may be viewed, his purposes had 
by this time become fixed, and he had written to his 
father by adoption, Chun Tao-tai, telling him of his 
intention, and asking for his approval. 

The dinner at the Serjeants’ house was a large one, 
but composed chiefly of men, the three Miss Serjeants, 
and Lady Withington, who, when she had been told of 
the alien guests, had insisted on going, saying — 

“You know I am very inquisitive as to how all 
this mandarin-ducky flirting is going to end.” Mr. 
Serjeant was only a trifle more inflated over this fresh 
acquisition. Mrs. Austin, the consul’s wife, and a Mrs. 
Conway, were the only other representatives of the fair 
sex. Nellie was taken in by Chun Ti-kung, and Lady 
Withington, who sat next Mr. Serjeant, asked in a 
whisper if he reaUy approved of the match coming off, 
which made him very hot and uncomfortable, indifferent 
as he was to what had been going on, excepting in so far 
as he could use the circumstances for his own aggrandise- 


^54 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


ment. Mr. Austin, who was a well-known sinologue, 
managed to draw out the Marquis into some quaint 
reminiscences of his life and experiences, which amused 
Lady Withington but made the rest of the company 
rather dull, as most of them were trying to hear what 
was being said. Nellie’s and Chun Ti-kung’s conversa- 
tion was mostly confined to her explanation of what 
they were eating and drinking, as elsewhere he had 
been nervous of showing ignorance by asking questions. 
The Marquis had developed a taste for port wine, so 
that the sitting after dinner, to Chun’s disgust, promised 
to be rather prolonged, and when one of his neighbours 
— who, he subsequently found out, was engaged to the 
eldest Miss Serjeant — suggested that, as he did not 
seem to want more wine, they should make a move, he 
was very glad to agree. 

On entering the drawing-room, where only a few 
other men had as yet found their way, he was beckoned 
by Lady Withington to a seat next her and Nellie, and 
the trio were soon busy in conversation. 

“ Have you learnt to dance yet ? ” was the first of 
Lady Withington’s questions. 

“Not yet, and I fear that our dress and boots are 
ill adapted to the custom,” looking first full at his 
questioner and then at Nellie. “ I envy those who are 
more expert.” 

“Mr. Chun, I am afraid you are learning how to 
flatter,” was the smiling reply, “ and I shall caution my 
friends. But there, I declare, is my old friend Mr. 
Balfour just coming in at the door, so you must keep 
Nellie interested till I come back,” and away she 
went. 


THE EAST WOOS THE WEST 


155 


Chun Ti-kung took the vacant seat,, and- began by 
saying that he hoped he should have found an earlier 
opportunity for a quiet talk. 

“ And that is why I suppose you stayed so long drink- 
ing,” was the reply. “ I always thought the Chinese 
were drinkers of tea.” 

“ I came away as soon as opportunity met me ; the 
Marquis is fond of wine, and there is nothing to blame 
in that, all our best poets praise the use of wine when 
relaxation does not interfere with business.” 

“You should not take me so seriously, I was only 
joking ; and to show you that it was so, we will go and 
sit down out there where the flowers are, and you shall 
translate to me one of those pieces of poetry on wine 
drinking.” 

She leading the way, the conservatory was reached. 
Chun remarked — 

“ I wonder how it is that even here you seem con- 
stantly to use our lanterns, although none of you 
understand the characters on their outside, which are 
meant to bring you happiness, wealth, and longevity, 
and many other good things.” 

“We English are becoming more liberal every day. 
Anything we think pretty we bring from all parts of 
the world, and I am afraid we almost prefer foreign 
productions to our own.” 

“ But is it possible that you think things admirable 
coming from China ? ” was Chun’s leading question ; but 
whilst Nellie was blushing and hesitating over her 
reply. Lady Withington came quickly to where they 
were sitting. 

“ I am sorry to disturb you, but the Marquis is going, 


156 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


and is asking for his illustrious secretary. Why does 
he use such long words ? ” 

Chun Ti-kung had to pull himself together, and, 
shaking hands with his two friends, with a sigh 
followed Lady Withington into the drawing-room, not 
in the frame of mind befitting the superior man. The 
Marquis and he were soon in their carriage driving to 
a ball at one of the Legations, where Chun spent a 
dreary hour, especially as on the way to it, the Marquis 
had in a mockingly parental way inquired how the 
courting of the fair English lady progressed, and 
whether his father had been informed of the coming 
happy event. 

To Nellie and to Chun the interruption of their talk 
in the conservatory had been upsetting; the former 
knew that at the time her answer would have been 
Yes,” but with the prospect possibly of three or four 
days intervening before another opportunity should 
occur for Chun Ti-kung to speak, her hopes and fears 
started up alarmed. Chun, after a sleepless night, 
determined to put his fate to the test by writing a 
letter, especially as after having read some English 
novels, he felt that for him to behave as a lover 
should, would be almost impossible. The letter was 
difficult enough, and Chun Ti-kung sincerely wished 
that such matters were arranged in England, as in 
China, through a third party. The letter was not 
ready to post until four o’clock the next day, so that 
Nellie received it the day but one after the memorable 
dinner. Its contents were as follows — 


THE EAST WOOS THE WEST 


157 


*'Most gracious lady Nellie, 

“ My eyes dazzled by your loveliness, and my 
heart over-fall with thoughts of you, I stretch my 
unworthy self on my couch at night to rest, but sleep 
refuses to come. Can you conjecture the cause ? Can 
you imagine the presumption that is forcing these 
words on to the paper through trembling fingers ? It 
is yourself that is causing the tumult in my system ; 
that makes other affairs that should appear of im- 
portance sink into insignificance; that renders the 
only hours worth living those that are spent with you. 
One of our proverbs says, ‘ A wife should excel in four 
things — virtue, speech, deportment, and needlework,’ 
and where outside of your most enchanting self could 
I find such excellence ? Must I fall from all hope of 
happiness through my unworthiness, or will you con- 
sent to be my most prized possession, my wife, to 
rejoice with me in any further honours which my 
country may bestow upon me and mine, or to share 
my grief, if misfortune prevail ? The stretched cord 
will not bear the strain for long, and I pray you not 
to forget that long and slow are the hours during which 
joy and misery hang in the balance. 

“ Your small suitor, 

Chun Ti-kung.” 

The letter had been written and torn up many times 
before it took shape in the above form, and before it 
was finally dispatched : qualms as to its propriety were 
very troublesome to Chun. Strange to say, the very 
formality of the document coincided with Nellie’s 


158 CHUN TJ-KUNG 

notions of Chinese character. After deliberation she 
wrote a short answer — 

“ Dear Mr. Chun Ti-kung, 

“You must leave me alone until to-morrov 
afternoon, when you may call, as I must have a talk 
with you before answering the question in your letter. 
I hope you will not spend another sleepless night. 

“Yours sincerely, 

“ Nellie.” 

Chun was far from down-hearted after receiving this 
note, and although the next day, quite out of harmony 
with his spirits, turned out sombre and rainy, the 
weather could not on that occasion produce the de- 
pressing effect that at times it succeeds in doing. 
From skilfully put questions as to the customs of 
Englishmen contemplating marriage, he had arrived 
at the decision to purchase an engagement ring, and 
the morning he found almost too short for visiting 
many of the best shops with one of the junior foreign 
assistants attached to the Embassy, and choosing one 
that he thought appropriate. His first choice was an 
opal, but on being told that the stone was considered 
unlucky to its wearer, he changed it for a fine 
diamond set between two deep-coloured sapphires, and 
he might have stopped there, but when the shopman 
(probably having heard or read of the Chinese favourite 
jewel) showed him a necklace formed of a double row 
of pearls, nothing would satisfy him until he had 
purchased it at the cost of £400. At the time Chun’s 


THE EAST WOOS THE WEST 


159 


prospects of marriage can have hardly been called 
secure, but, as he reflected, marriage for me in China 
now-a-days would mean a much larger outlay, and to 
that old shopkeeper, Nellie’s father, gifts will probably 
smooth matters over more than words (in which re- 
flection ‘he was probably right); whilst if Nellie meant 
what she said, in hoping I should not have any more 
sleepless nights, I cannot grudge her any pleasure in 
reason ; as to my father’s consent being obtained there 
can be no question. So with a light heart Chun left the 
shop, ordering his purchases to be sent to the Embassy 
before two o’clock, drove to his bankers, cashed his 
cheque for what he wanted, and returned in time to 
eat a good meal, to make a comfortable toilet, to re- 
ceive and pay for his purchases, and drive to Bays- 
water a little after four o’clock. 

For Nellie the day had not been passed so agreeably. 
She had kept her room till lunch time, and had tried 
all she could to think what should be the end of the 
day’s appointment; at one time depressed, the next 
confident of what her answer should be. At lunch 
she and her sisters were alone. The latter, discon- 
tented with the weather and consequent upset of their 
engagements, thought it a good opportunity to tell 
Nellie that they hoped, now the horrid dinner party 
was done with, she would leave off her flirtation with 
that interpreter man. It is not pleasant to have the 
names of your friends suddenly forgotten, after they 
have been persuaded to do what was wanted of them, 
and although Nellie did not lose her temper, her indig- 
nation at their vulgarity certainly scored in Chun’s 
favour, and added a stimulus to her half-formed resolu- 


i6o 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


tion, to set their and the world’s opinion at defiance. 
“ Cats ” I am afraid was very much the unexpressed 
epithet applied to them in her mind. No sympathy 
had ever existed between them, and the last month’s 
residence at home had been very unhappy, unless she 
were in company with Chun or Lady Withington. 
When her sisters left for a little repose, as they were 
going to a ball in the evening, Nellie rang the bell, 
and told the footman that she was going to the library, 
and if Mr. Chun Ti-kung called to show him in there. 

On his arrival these orders were obeyed. Advancing 
across the room, he bowed quietly to Nellie, who had 
been sitting in an easy-chair. She jumped up as his 
name was announced, half extending her hand, which 
he did not take, remarking — 

“ When next I take that hand it must be mine for 
ever or not at all.” 

Nellie nervously asked him to sit down, saying — 

“ But, Mr. Chun, by what you say you expect in a 
wife, you make me think myself very unfit ; I am not 
fond of sewing, I cannot speak Chinese, and my habits 
are certainly not such as you are accustomed to. Do 
you not think you would run the risk of being very 
unhappy if I were to consent to become your wife? 
And what would your family say ? ” 

Chun could only gather encouragement from this 
speech, and answered — 

“Your heart must answer for you ; your language and 
bearing have opened my eyes to a great superiority 
living in you, that cannot be found in my own country- 
women, and I can only repeat what I have already 
written. Be my wife, my family are sure not to be 


THE EAST WOOS THE WEST 


i6i 

displeased, and I have already written to my father, 
Chun Tao-tai, to avoid any unnecessary delay.” 

“ How dared you write to your father before you had 
spoken to me ? ” 

“ Because I thought, and think, you like me. It can 
make no difference to you, as he knows nothing but 
Chinese, and even if I am unhappy enough to have 
made you angry, he will never come to England to meet 
you,” and here Chun diplomatically covered his eyes 
with his hands, which were he knew an attraction to 
NeUie. 

“ It was foolish of me to mind, but if we go back 
together to China, and if ” 

Chun here thought it time to use promptitude, and 
producing the ring from his pocket — 

“ Your heart must answer the ‘ ifs,' ” he said. “ May 
I place this ring on your finger, and are you going to 
marry me? There is plenty of time to answer your 
questions by and by.” 

Then as Nellie hesitated, he managed to gain pos- 
session of her right hand ; he did not know the proper 
hand, but somehow it got changed for the left, and the 
ring found its place on the third finger, whilst Nellie’s 
head declined to his shoulder, which was very embar- 
rassing to him. He kissed her forehead as a father 
might his child’s, and Nellie, looking up, shivering at 
what had passed so quickly, and possibly disap- 
pointed at not receiving a warmer embrace, burst out 
crying. 

I wonder if I have done right. Tell me, tell me that 
you love me, and always will.” 

“ It is so, it is so ; and still further to bind you to 

M 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


162 

myself I have a necklace of pearls, the symbols of 
purity and constancy, which I wish you to accept.” 

As the pearls were being clasped about her neck, 
Nellie wiped her eyes, saying — 

“ They are too lovely,” and pressed his hand to her 
cheek. 

The necklace had then of necessity to be taken off 
for admiration, and whilst doing so Nellie was seized 
with a panic about the scene which she knew must 
occur with her father and sisters. She begged Chun 
to take back his presents until he had explained 
matters to her father, but Chun was firm. 

“ If I were to take back what you have accepted it 
would be very unlucky,” and Nellie had to continue 
wearing the ring, although the necklace was returned 
to its case, and for a time hidden in the drawer of her 
desk. The ring, too striking to pass unnoticed, was 
not without its fascination, and she was pleased at 
Chun’s not allowing her to take it off, although she 
remarked with a smile — 

“ I am afraid you are already proving too strong ; you 
condemn me to solitary confinement until you have 
seen my father to-morrow morning, as I am sure my 
sisters would notice; the stone is so bright, and I 
seldom wear any rings.” 

“ What if your father refuses his consent ? ” 

“ Then I don’t care, and you and I must fight or run 
away together ; but you must tell him all about your 
father and his high rank, and everything may go 
peacefully. Go to him in his office to-morrow at 
eleven, and he may come back with you here to lunch. 
Write a note to him making the appointment.” 


THE EAST WOOS THE WEST 


163 


This he did before he left, and the remainder of 
their conversation resolved itself into questions about 
his relations and friends in China, his prospects, and 
their probable future home, which I am afraid Chun 
painted rather cmleur de rose, although, knowing him- 
self to be well off, and certain of obtaining promotion, 
he was justified to some extent in painting things as 
he intended them to be instead of as they had been 
in the past. 

Of the wife living in Pa-li Kiao not a word was said, 
and as Chun had always been very reticent about his 
own affairs, it is doubtful if the Marquis or any of his 
staff were aware of the existence of any such person. 

The clock on the mantelpiece struck six, and Nellie, 
bethinking herself of every-day life, rang the bell and 
ordered tea. It was getting rather dark, but in reply 
to the footman’s “ Shall I light the gas, miss ? ” she 
answered “ Not yet,” and turning to Chun said, “ I delight 
in the twilight,” with which he agreed. Shortly after- 
wards her eldest sister entered, and asked her if she 
were going to dress before or after dinner, to which 
Nellie replied that having a headache she thought she 
would go to her room and not go out again. Her sister 
began, “ What nonsense,” when for the first time per- 
ceiving Chun, she gave him a slight bow and flounced 
out of the room banging the door. 

“ Good twilight,” was Nellie’s remark, handing Chun 
his tea, and laughingly holding up her finger with the 
ring. 

“ Bad temper,” Chun replied. “ How can such different 
fruits come from the same stem ? 


CHAPTEE III 

A PERILOUS MARRIAGE 


Mr. Serjeant, as already explained, was nothing if 
not pompous, and when he received Chun Ti-kung’s 
letter asking for an appointment, he immediately 
sent an answer by hand to the Embassy quarters, re- 
gretting that at the time mentioned he had an engage- 
ment, but asking Chun to postpone his visit, and to 
lunch with him at his Club at one p.m. On Chun’s 
presenting himself at his office, “ Excuse me for five 
minutes ” was his salutation, and after appearing fussily 
engaged for about that time in pretending to arrange 
and bestow papers of importance, he gently pushed Chun 
down the stairs in front of him, and entering a hansom 
drove to the Club, remarking — 

“You see, Mr. Chun, we are busy people in this town 
of ours, and as a rule I insist on all matters not of a 
business nature being discussed after office hours ; but 
seeing that you can hardly be expected to understand 
the intricacies of our system, I have made an exception 
in your favour.” 

Chun bowed in reply, and expressed his sorrow at 
having evidently misunderstood the hour which his 
daughter had told him as the most likely to find him 
disengaged. 

164 


A PERILOUS MARRIAGE 


165 


“ Oh, my daughter ! My daughters are giddy-headed, 
and may seem to think nothing of greater importance 
than dresses and entertainments. I suppose that your 
object is something of the sort.” 

Chun was beginning to explain that his call was on a 
matter of greater import, when the cab drew up at the 
Club. The lunch-room being naturally full at the time, 
no opportunity for private conversation for some time 
presented itself. 

Mr. Serjeant’s attention was fully occupied in watch- 
ing the sensation that the appearance of his guest 
caused, and in pressing on Chun the various dishes and 
wines he ordered, a special brand of Madeira prolonging 
the sitting, although Chun’s appetite for food or wine 
had long been satisfied. Finally an adjournment to a 
quiet comer in the smoking-room was made, cigars were 
lighted, and the object of Chun’s call was asked. 

Probably no man could have been more truly sur- 
prised than Mr. Serjeant, when Chun in his slow English 
quietly answered that he had come to ask the hand of 
his daughter Nellie in marriage, though of course the 
unheeded warnings of his eldest daughters came to his 
mind. His first attempt was to pooh-pooh Chun’s 
proposal, telling him that such a demand was absurd 
and “ d — d nonsense.” When Chun told him that it 
was only after asking his daughter’s consent that he 
had come to speak to him, he saw that the affair was 
serious, and with hand-shaded eyes sat in deep thought 
for some minutes. 

With all his faults Mr. Serjeant was not at heart a 
bad man, and the neglect of which memory momentarily 
accused him — of this his youngest daughter — caused 


i66 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


his heart to reproach him. He considered how little in 
common there could be between them, for her to con- 
template, ever so slightly, isolating herself from all ties 
by marrying such an unknown quantity as a Chinaman. 
He realized that his power over her and her actions was 
practically nil ; and yet, could such a marriage lead to 
happiness, or rather to anything but misery ? Then on 
the other hand, the worst side of him gained its say — 
the notoriety, the remonstrances that would pour in to 
him against the match ; the attitude of a quite un- 
biassed and just position in which he could pose, tickled 
his fancy, and following up an idea that Nellie had not 
long ago suggested to him, of becoming an ancestor of 
great men, his opposition weakened, the match seemed 
gradually to appear less preposterous ; and then, what 
with the unusual strain of thought, and possibly the 
extra glass of Madeira, he had to pull himself together 
with a start to prevent his thoughts ending in dream- 
land. 

Nothing suits a Chinaman better than waiting; they 
will wait until you have exhausted fruitlessly all your 
best endeavours at explaining that telegraphs and steam 
transit are improvements on the system of older days ; 
in business they will wait to fight for a farthing long 
after a foreigner has made up his mind to sacrifice half 
his commission ; worst of all, they will wait till your 
temper fails, and then act as seemeth to them best. 

Probably Chun appreciated the character of his 
future father-in-law sufficiently to follow the nebulous 
thoughts that were passing in his mind. Anyway, it 
was the upsetting of a chair that gave the shock to Mr. 
Serjeant’s reverie, and when the desired effect had been 


A PERILOUS MARRIAGE 167 

produced, Chun’s voice, as sedate as before, broke the 
silence — 

“ May I ask your most honoured and desired answer ? ” 

Mr. Serjeant, feeling that he was in a weak position, 
and more or less ashamed of himself, replied with an 
effort — 

“ It appears to me that there is nothing to be done 
in the matter but for you to come home to dinner — I 
had an engagement, but that must be put off — and let 
me confront you with Nellie. I tell you I shall try and 
dissuade her from any such foolishness as this marriage 
appears to me. At the same time, if she has made up 
her mind, you will of course give me authentic inform- 
ation about your position and ability to support my 
child in a fitting manner, and then, after I have inter- 
viewed your ‘ head ’ at the Embassy, we must have a 
longer talk.” 

“ Certainly, certainly,” was Chun’s reply ; “ I accept 
your most obliging invitation to your dinner at eight.” 

He had, when his appointment of the morning had 
been postponed, sent a telegram to Nellie informing 
her. He told Mr. Serjeant what his position and pros- 
pects were, and the interview ending — it had extended 
till nearly four o’clock — he wrote a note to Nellie say- 
ing that as her father had asked him to dine and meet 
her, he thought it would be only respectful to wait 
impatiently to see her until then ; which note he deli- 
vered at the door himself. He little imagined the 
disturbed condition of affairs prevailing at the Bays- 
water establishment at about the same time, the effect 
of a telegram received shortly before from Mr. Serjeant 
to Miss Serjeant — “ Have excused ourselves from dining 


i68 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


at tlie Powers, Cliun Ti-kung dining with us. Order 
special dinner for five.” That something urgent was 
the cause of this alteration in plans was evident to both 
the elder sisters when they had put their heads together, 
and Nellie would undoubtedly have had a bad time of 
cross-examination to go through, had she not imme- 
diately on receipt of Chun’s telegram shut herself into 
her room and resolutely refused to open the door. 

Your friend Chun is coming to dinner,” was shouted 
at her. 

“ I know,” was the reply, “ I am resting till it is time 
to dress.” 

Mr. Serjeant could not escape quite so easily, and 
upon his ring being heard, he found his two indignant 
daughters eager to know what had happened, but 
replying that “ they would know soon enough,” he 
made his way hurriedly to his dressing-room. 

The atmosphere of the drawing-room was unplea- 
santly charged with thunder when Chun Ti-kung was 
shown in. The dinner was naturally constrained, and 
it was certainly a relief when the move to the drawing- 
room came. Mr. Serjeant stopped Nellie as she was 
leaving with her sisters, saying — 

“ I want you to stay and speak with Mr. Chun and 
myself, please keep your seat.” 

He dismissed the servants, and, turning to her with 
his best parental air, commenced a carefully thought- 
out speech. 

“ My dear Nelly, Mr. Chun has this afternoon made 
a communication to me which has taken me quite by 
surprise, but as he has told me that it was made with 
your consent” (Chun bowed), “I suppose you know 


A PERILOUS MARRIAGE 169 

all about it. He tells me that he has asked you to 
become his wife, and that you have dutifully referred 
him to me for my consent. With or without that, I 
know you can do as you please, and I cannot — as I 
should certainly like to do, refuse — with any chance of 
success, so that my only object in asking Mr. Chun to 
dinner is to hear from you both that you have really 
made up your minds to this most unusual course. My 
dear child, can you really say that you think that the 
marriage can be for your welfare ? Since Mr. Chun left 
me I have made the inquiries that he authorized me to 
make, and am bound to tell you that he is reported to 
be rich, and in all probability will rise high in his 
country’s service, but until I hear you yourself say what 
your wishes are, I can — Mr. Chun will excuse me for 
saying it — hardly believe what he has told me.” 

Nellie having screwed up her courage, and nerved by 
Chun’s anxious look, simply said, “ Mr. Chun has told 
the truth. I have never met any one I liked better, 
and I am willing to give my life into his care.” 

Chun rose and made a most profound bow, whilst Mr. 
Serjeant, whose vanity had been again tickled by the 
accounts given him of Chun’s prospects, feebly remark- 
ing, “ Then the sooner it is known the better,” rose and 
led the way to the drawing-room, rather timidly ushering 
the couple in with — 

“ My dear daughters, Adelaide and Fanny, allow me 
to introduce your future brother-in-law, Mr. Chun Ti- 
kung.” 

Of Nellie’s experiences after the above announcement 
had been made and generally become public property, it 
would be tiresome to give details — of her sisters' uudis- 


170 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


guised antagonism ; of the letters of remonstrance ; the 
pious entreaties from hardly-known enthusiasts begging 
her to “ consider the awful responsibility of being un- 
equally jmked together with unbelievers ; ” that the 
comforts of European life and the protection of English 
law would be so terribly unattainable in the country to 
which she would be exiled — all arguments were pushed 
indiscriminately down her throat, and to each and all 
she turned a deaf ear. Further inquiries as to Chun 
Ti-kung’s status elicited confirmatory statements as to 
his wealth and position. Mr. Serjeant excited as much 
attention, praise, and abuse as he could reasonably 
expect. 

Chun, having received a letter from his adopted 
father reminding him that his leave would expire in 
six months, pressed for an early marriage, and Nellie 
consented to the event being fixed for the middle of 
July. 

Settlements were then spoken about, and although 
such things were quite a novelty to a Chinese mind, 
Chun, after consulting with his English friends, tele- 
graphed to his banker, Tung Yu, for a remittance of 
£2500, Nellie’s father settling the same amount on her 
himself. The whole sum was deposited for her, in the 
name of trustees, in one of the leading English banks 
that dealt with China, which was entitled to pay her the 
interest at five per cent, per annum, quarterly, although 
she was not allowed to trench on her capital without 
referring to her trustees. The marriage was succes- 
sively performed at the Legation and in St. Jude’s 
Church, a large crowd manifesting its interest in the 
latter ceremony, to which Lady Withington and a 


A PERILOUS MARRIAGE 


171 


number of her friends gave their support. The break- 
fast that followed, Mr. Serjeant, as might have been 
expected, had provided in lavish manner ; and it was 
attended by more celebrities than he had ever before 
managed to bring into his house. In his speech he posed 
as a philanthropist who had consented to welcome a 
son-in-law from far Cathay, hoping that such unions 
might tend to bring about a better understanding, 
knowledge, and appreciation of nation with nation, 
until in fact all people should live together as members 
of one vast family, all diverse interests being merged 
for the common good. Such sentiments naturally met 
with much applause and many sneers, and Nellie all 
through the wearisome time found all her resolution 
required not to lose heart entirely. At last she and 
Chun drove off in the brougham from Bayswater to the 
railway-station, and Chun Ti-kung was once again a 
married man, to all intents and purposes, as far as 
English law could make him, though how far his 
previous marriage in China might or might not have 
invalidated Nellie’s share in the operation, whilst she 
was in England, is not clear, and has never been 
brought in question in a court of law. Their honey- 
moon passed off in an uneventful and moderately 
successful way, spent as it was amidst the gaieties 
of Paris, where one more or less remarkable couple 
attracts small notice. 

The Marquis Kung was only able to spare Chun from 
the Embassy for a week, and at the end of that time the 
newly-married couple came back to England. They 
had taken a furnished house for six months from an 
acquaintance of the Serjeants’, the owner having to 


172 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


leave town for some time. The house was near enough 
to the Embassy for Chun to get there in a few minutes, 
and was very pretty and well furnished. 

Chun left all matters of household arrangement to 
Nellie, after they had consulted together as to how much 
money it was necessary and advisable to spend, and she 
proved herself a good manager. There was no friction 
between them, and they led a bright and happy life 
until they left England early in the following year. 

Their many friends and acquaintances were curious 
to see how such an oddly matched pair agreed, so that 
their visitors and invitations were very numerous. 

Nellie became at last a little wearied with so much 
gaiety ; she had known for some time that she would 
become a mother, and one evening asked Chun — 

“ Do you mind if we refuse some of these invita- 
tions ? — does it please you that we so seldom spend an 
evening at home ? ” 

All plans please me, my jewel, that you make,” he 
answered. “ I leave these things to your judgment as 
you know the customs of your own country. When 
we get to China it will be my pleasure to guide your 
conduct as here you guide mine.” 

“But, Chun,” said Nellie, “it is not custom I wish to 
conform to, but your wishes.” 

“ Custom is powerful, my fair-face,” said Chun ; “ it 
is the embodied experience of our forefathers, and 
wishes must give way to it.” 

“ That is too conservative for my mind,” said Nellie, 
laughing, “ I wish custom to give way to me.” 

After this, for the last few weeks in England, they 
led a quieter life, 


A PERILOUS MARRIAGE 


173 


While they were in Paris Chun had received the 
answer that he was expecting from his adopted father^ 
Chun Yu-tai, which gave his full sanction to the mar- 
riage, but ended with the pertinent remark — 

“Wherefore you, having a son to come after you, 
should burden yourself with a second wife, I cannot 
understand. You say that this foreign woman is to 
you the greatest happiness that you could have imagined 
possible. If so, be careful to be quite open in all your 
dealings with her, and on no account keep anything 
secret from her. No woman will long stay in ignorance 
of anything she thinks you are anxious for her not to 
know, and where deceit once shows itself, or is shown, 
what wise man can say where it will end ? 

This warning caused Chun many qualms of con- 
science, or, to translate what he felt, “large fear,” 
and on their voyage out he determined to try to make 
opportunities for arguing about and justifying polygamy, 
but he found the task very difficult. Nellie, from the 
commencement of her acquaintance with Chun, had 
applied herself diligently to the study of the Chinese 
language, and with his assistance. Sir T. Wade’s “ Tsz 
urh cJiel^ some vocabularies and dictionaries, had made 
good progress. Husband and wife proved fairly good 
sailors, and when one day in the Mediterranean, in 
smooth water, she had come across the mention of a 
concubine in a certain book of light Chinese literature, 
and asked for information, Chun, before he had quite 
realized the position, found that he had pretty well 
explained the very different position between the first 
and the other wives in a Chinese household ; the latter, 
as a matter of fact, unless they bear children, having 


474 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


little if any social status. Nellie’s remark in reply that 
she could not understand any woman under such circum- 
stances agreeing to be wife No. 2 or 3, did not facilitate 
explanations, and no idea of her actual position entered 
h^r mind. 

As usual to a first-time traveller by the P. and O. 
the changing scenes and amusements, the mixed com- 
pany, and the excitement of landing and seeing all 
there was to be seen at the various ports of call, were 
sufficient to drive away breedings. 

Chun and his wife were at first regarded with un- 
favourable curiosity, but as time progressed, and his 
manners were found to be quiet and civilized, and hers 
distinctly pleasant, they met with few disagreeables. 
On the whole, relations between the husband and wife 
were certainly drawn closer by their closer association, 
and there is no reason for supposing that the strange 
marriage might not have proved a lasting success if 
they had remained away from China. 


CHAPTER IV 


FIKST MISGIVINGS 

On the steamer’s arrival at Hong Kong, Chim, much 
to his surprise, found a letter awaiting him from his 
adopted father. Chun Yu-tai wrote in deep sorrow 
to inform his son that he had just received letters 
from Pa-li Kiao, telling him that Chun’s father and 
his two eldest brothers had all been smitten by cholera 
and were dead, and that although it was not indis- 
pensable or indeed seemly that Chun Ti-kung should 
resume his previous position as son in the village, yet 
the mother had written begging Chun Tao-tai’s sanction 
to her son’s going to her assistance. The letter went 
on : — 

“My esteemed sister-in-law appears more or less 
crazy with grief, and your wife urging the same thing, 
I have acceded to their request, and desire you to 
make arrangements to go straight to them on your 
arrival at Shanghai before coming to me. Your post 
as sub-prefect under the circumstances I have arranged 
to keep open, and you are now on the lists at the 
capital as expectant Tao-tai. When the news first 
reached me from Pa-li Kiao, I made a passage to 
Shanghai, and arranged for your son there to proceed 

175 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


176 

from the school to his mother. He has improved 
greatly in appearance and quickness since he has been 
at the foreign school, and I feel proud of him, and think 
it will also be well for you to become better acquainted 
with him ; you will probably have to spend at least 
three months at Pa-li Kiao when you get there, 
arranging matters.” 

The Tao-tai naturally attached no importance to the 
second wife, and did not even mention her, but to 
poor Chun Ti-kung the news and instructions contained 
in the letter were a terrible blow, upsetting as they 
did his plan to take Nellie direct to Hoochow, and 
keep her there in the comfortable Yamen of his adopted 
father, until some way of unburdening himself of the 
secret of his previous marriage suggested itself. Now 
there seemed no loophole but open confession; but, 
Chinaman-like, he still procrastinated, and after telling 
Nellie the news, which, as she had never before heard 
of the natural father and brothers, rather startled and 
puzzled her, shut himself into his cabin. For the first 
time since they met he did occasionally, during the 
two days at Hong Kong and the three days up the coast, 
speak harshly to her. He really needed to think out 
what possible course to follow ; her presence could not 
fail to be a reproach, the more so as he had grown 
sincerely attached to her, and with Chun, agitation 
generally revealed itself in harsh conduct. Finally, but 
not till the last moment, he determined to leave her in 
Shanghai, and so put off a little longer the disclosure 
that was becoming more and more a nightmare of 
terrible weight. 

The altered manner, the change of all the plans that 


FIRST MISGIVINGS 


177 


had been formed and discussed, the uncertainty over- 
hanging their movements on arriving at their destin- 
ation, and what she looked upon as her future home, 
sent Nellie’s spirits down to zero. She had made some 
fellow-passenger friendships with some ladies returning 
to, or with, their husbands, but their movements were 
naturally all settled, and the only consolation she could 
derive from them was that there were two or three 
comfortable hotels at which her husband could un- 
doubtedly leave her. Sympathy with th3 wife of a 
Chinaman was necessarily rather cold, and promises of 
assistance not forthcoming ; and when, on their arrival 
at Shanghai, Chun Ti-kung, in a curt way, told her 
that he must at once leave her on board the steamer, 
and ascertain what was the best thing to be done, poor 
Nellie’s first experience of China was not what could 
be called cheerful. Chun Ti-kung, after packing up 
his own things, had thought it quite unnecessary to 
help her with hers, simply telling her to have every- 
thing ready against his return; perhaps this might 
have been a relief in distracting her thoughts, but she 
thought him unkind, although she resented the remark 
of the stewardess when called in to help her — What 
could you expect from a Chinaman ? ” 

Chun had gone ashore at eight in the morning, called 
on Tung Yu, his best friend, at once, and had then to 
get some of Tung Yu’s foreign friends’ assistance in 
obtaining admittance to one of the third-rate foreign 
boarding-houses, which at last was grudgingly per- 
mitted, the better hotels refusing to take in natives. 
All this took time, and it was nearly six in the evening 
before he could return to the steamer to relieve Nellie’s 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


178 

anxiety, and get the cabin luggage up to the boarding- 
house; but then, as he had regained his equanimity, 
and they at last sat down to a quiet dinner in a com- 
fortable private room, Nellie blamed herself for having 
lost heart over such a small matter, and Chun Ti-kung 
heard her regrets with composure, and even acknow- 
ledged that he himself had not kept the strictly middle 
path. The stewardess had no reason to complain that 
she had not been remembered, and had wished Nellie 
“Good-bye and good luck,” although her after-remark 
was, “ However came she to do it ? a nice pleasant 
lady too ! ” 

The wonderful scheme that Chun Ti-kung had 
decided upon was as foolish as it was absolutely sure 
to fail, but Chun in the way of deceit was as dunder- 
headed as the ostrich of the fable. His only notion 
was to go alone to Pa-h Kiao, leaving Nellie for a few 
days in Shanghai, to engage a separate dwelling in the 
village for his foreign wife, and to persuade his mother 
and Chinese wife, on condition of rendering them the 
services they had solicited, not to disclose the fact of 
his being a married man or the father of the boy, until 
he should give them leave to do so. Under the cir- 
cumstances, on his arrival there he found promises in 
plenty made only too readily: both mother and wife 
knowing full well that taking a second wife for a man 
in his position could not be looked upon but as a fore- 
gone conclusion, and not attaching at first much im- 
portance to the matter in any way ; their interest being 
more centred upon what he should determine to do 
about winding up the business, or placing some one in 
charge, while outstanding accounts were being settled. 


FIRST MISGIVINGS 


m 


The sudden death of his father and brothers had 
necessarily left matters in a somewhat complicated con- 
dition, and one day’s investigation was sufficient to 
show Chun that a month or more must be devoted 
to clearing up accounts. He found by chance that two 
shops in the outskirts of the village could be rented, as 
the fengshuy^ was said to be unlucky, and these he 
immediately secured and placed in the hands of car- 
penters and white-washers to convert into one dwelling 
with glass panes for windows. He then wrote to 
Shanghai, asking Tung Yu to make and forward such 
purchases of foreign furniture as he thought would 
tend to make the Chinese shanty moderately comfort- 
able for the time that it was necessary to occupy it, all 
the time cursing the hard luck that had left no other 
way open to him. He remained at his mother’s house 
in Pa-li Kiao to receive the furniture and get matters 
further under weigh, writing to Nellie that he would 
return in six days at latest. He had found his son 
much improved in appearance, and thought him a boy to 
be proud of ; which made it so much the worse for him, 
that he had made no explanation of his real position to 
Nellie. The excuse he then found for himself was that 
it would be better for her that she should hear all 
when apart from foreign women and their ideas. 

On his return to Shanghai, he found that during his 
visit to Pa-li Kiao his wife had been by no means neg- 
lected. Nellie’s experiences whilst left at the boarding- 
house were not of an uu pleasant nature ; her position as 
wife of a Chinaman of the mandarin class was a novelty; 
the acquaintances she had made on the steamer visited 
^ Fengshuy (literally “wind and water”), geomancy. 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


180 

her and invited her to their houses. The influence she 
could bring to bear on Chinese ladies of her own rank, 
to whom it is no easy task to obtain admittance, was 
a point seized upon by those missionaries, male and 
female, of the China Inland Mission and other societies, 
who believe that the regeneration of a race is obtained 
through the influence of mothers. Her tales of the 
happy months that she had spent in England after she 
had married Chun Ti-kung cast a glamour around his 
character that he was far from deserving; altogether 
her time and thoughts had been fully occupied, and 
she had found herself a person of interest. Clothes 
are seldom a matter of indifference to feminine minds, 
and Chun Ti-kung had suggested to her, that for 
privacy’s sake she had better provide herself with two 
or three native costumes of the soberer colours in con- 
sequence of the family mourning, and had also begged 
Tung Yus wife, whom he had asked to call upon her, 
to show her the most suitable and comfortable clothes 
to procure. The very fact of trying on and having 
fitted such novel habiliments further distracted her, 
and doubtless Tung Yu’s wife, who was a capable 
woman, thought that when in her Chinese clothes; 
Nellie looked much more like a Chinese lady than 
most lady missionaries do. Then again more interest 
came in, from a resident who had a great passion for 
ancient embroideries calling upon her, and one day, 
after having invited her to tiffin with him, showing 
her his collection, and pointing out the beauties of his 
best pieces, with the kind idea of giving her a new 
occupation, in what he had judged must prove a dull 
»nd monotonous existence at the best, although he had 


FIRST MISGIVINGS i8i 

no idea what a hard life Nellie would lead in Pa-li 
Kiao. 

Altogether poor Nellie thought her marriage was 
proving a successful one, and had spent an agreeable 
and useful fortnight. When Chun Ti-kung returned 
from Pa-li Kiao she greeted him warmly, and told him 
he must not leave her long again, as her baby would 
be born in less than two months’ time. Chun was 
expected to be sympathetic, but felt so desperately 
ashamed of his position, and nervous about the future, 
that his reception of this reminder was chilling to 
every nerve in Nellie’s body. Chun stayed one day 
in Shanghai, picking up two or three more pieces of 
furniture that he had thought out as being necessary, 
and then with his wife left for Ningpo en route to take 
up their residence at Pa-li Kiao in April. 

At its best the house procured by Chun was nothing 
but a one-storied wooden building originally intended 
for a tea-shop. The front rooms were of a moderate 
size, about thirty feet by sixteen. It faced on the 
street, from which the door opened immediately, with- 
out any division from the shop that Chun had con- 
verted into a sitting-room. Facing the door was a 
staircase more like a gangway ladder than anything 
else, that led direct up to the upper storey, and was 
closed by a trap-door at night. The back rooms were 
little more than closets ; the two up-stairs Chun had 
found just big enough to harbour a couple of small 
iron bedsteads and washing-stands ; whilst the front 
room he had furnished with Chinese cupboards for 
clothes, some chairs, a sofa, and a carpet and curtains, 
two luxuries unknown among Chinese. Credit must 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


182 

certainly be given Chun for having procured more com- 
fortable pieces of furniture than those straight-backed 
atrocities that usually pass for chairs and sofas in 
Chinese dwellings. The back door to the premises 
opened behind the staircase into an enclosed yard, 
lessening the size of the back rooms down-stairs, one 
of which he had appropriated for his study, whilst the 
smaller one he had fitted up with shelves for crockery 
and linen, which as a rule occupy hardly any space in 
native economy. The walls were simply whitewashed. 
The back yard was surrounded by a fence of dry and 
knotted reed stalks, sufficiently high to prevent its 
being overlooked, and attached to occasional bushes 
and trees that rendered it strong enough to keep out 
pigs, or deter any moderate-minded buffalo. The yard 
itself was nothing but a trodden-down piece of mud, in 
which many chickens and ducks lived and died, a dirty 
piece of water in one corner supplying the latter birds 
with sufficient water to support existence, but not 
amusement. Behind the fence at the back of the yard, 
after a margin of about two feet of pathway, that facili- 
tated trackers’ work in dragging boats either up or 
down, stream when water sufficed, ran a deep creek 
some thirty feet in width leading down from the hills 
sometimes after rains speeding along with the force of 
a torrent, at others filtering dully through barely- 
covered stones. A bamboo latched gate in the fence 
allowed exit to the path. On the left side of the back 
door the kitchen was placed, considerably improved and 
enlarged since Chun took the house. The ill-fitting 
boards, windows, and doors, really seemed intended to 
invite draughtiness, and the two shops combined were, 


FIRST MISGIVINGS 


183 

in spite of the improvements, about as uncomfortable 
a residence as could be found out of China. On the 
passage to Ningpo, which proved quite a smooth one, 
Chun began his talk of disillusion. 

“ Dear Nellie, you must not be very much disappointed 
at the quarters to which I am obliged to take you. The 
unfortunate deaths of my natural father and brothers, 
who were, as I have told you, in a humble position, 
forbid me for some time occuppng the comfortable 
establishment which I had intended. And as you see 
me now, according to the rules of the Book of Bites, 
wearing cotton clothes and not shaving, which is very 
repugnant to me, so we shall have to put up with 
a small house and few comforts for at any rate three 
months after the death took place ; but for my affili- 
ation with Chun Yu-tai, and arrangements he has made, 
it would have had to be a year.” 

“ Never mind, dear, what is good enough for you is 
good enough for me,” was the affectionate reply ; “ but 
why, oh why, do you keep things that are happening 
so long before you let me know? Of course I could 
not stay in Shanghai alone now, but do not let us keep 
secrets from each other ; I am now so quite alone, and 
so far from any I know.” 

Chun must have blushed if he could, but covered his 
cowardly conduct with irritability, and answered — 

“ Who can avoid the inevitable ? ” 

Unexplained deception continued to weigh very 
heavily on his mind, knowing as he had done since 
their talk in the steamer that Nellie’s appreciation of 
Chinese pkilosophy and customs (as far as she under- 
stood them') did not at all extend to bip-amy. “In 


CHUN Tl-KUNG 


184 

patience,” thought Chun, “and if possible in keeping 
the truth from her until our child is born, is the only 
chance of her ever forgiving me for his sake, if not for 
my own ; and oh, if only it were my mother instead of 
my father that was dead, how much easier it would all 
have been.” 

That he redoubled his attentions during the short 
voyage and the rather rough travelling to Pa-li Kiao, 
only tended to show how really inexcusable his conduct 
appeared to himself. 

The remainder of Nellie's story is taken partly from 
letters written by herself to Lady Withington, and 
partly from particulars furnished by Mr. and Mjs. 
Fulford. 


CHAPTER V 


DISILLUSION 

Saturday . — My husband told me this morning on 
board the steamer, that the place to which we are going 
is not at all the place he intended, and will fall far 
short of what he has led me to expect, as, owing to the 
death of his natural father and two elder brothers, he 
must live for at least three months in the strictest 
retirement. I must remember that Chun Se-fei is the 
natural father and Chun Yu-tai the adopted father — I 
nearly wrote “ unnatural ” father, but do not feel like 
joking at all. As far as I can recall, his words were, 
“ Will you for my sake put up with the only little house 
in my native village that I could procure at such a 
short notice ? I know it is very inconvenient, and very 
far from what you have been accustomed to, but three 
months will quickly pass.” He has been so good and 
attentive for the last few days and during most of the 
voyage, that I hate myself for feeling as I do about it 
all ; but ever3rthing seems so mysterious and changing 
that I am getting very nervous, and as there is nothing 
to do on the steamer, and no one to talk to, I must 
write to prevent constantly thinking the same thoughts 

over and over again. First came the death of his real 
185 


186 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


father, and the appearance of a mother whom T had 
never heard of before (I am certain he told me that he 
had no mother) ; now the common and uncomfortable 
house, so different to a fine Chinese house, with gardens, 
which he had talked of, and in fact the words keep 
ringing in my head, “ What next ? what next ? ” I 
must try and be calm and patient, as I know all this 
worry cannot be good for me, and I think this little 
writing is rather soothing, although sometimes I feel 
I could hate myself for being a fool. 

Sunday . — Chun (I ought to call him Ti-kung, but 
cannot) has had to spend all the morning at Ningpo, 
and here am I all alone on the steamer, wondering over 
still the same thought, “ What next V I have had 
tiffin on board with the English officers, who are very 
civil, but I always seem to think they are pitying me 
or despising me. I never travelled in a river steamer 
before, and this they tell me is one with what they call 
“a walking beam”; it looks very funny. The cabin 
we have used is very comfortable, and the food is not 
bad. 

Monday . — Chun returned at four, and after packing 
what little there was left open, we went ashore with 
our luggage to a Chinese inn, and when I saw it I 
began to cry. Everything was so dirty, and at dinner 
there was nothing but oil and rice, oily fish, and then 
oniony ducks and oily vegetables, some scraps of pork, 
and then tough sweets. If, dear Lady Withington, you 
ever see this diary-letter of mine, I know you will say, 
“ I told you so,” though you never did ! I cannot get 
rid of the swaying motion of the steamer to Ningpo, 
although the sea was smooth. Chun says it is because 


DISILLUSION 


87 


it was a much smaller boat than the one from Europe ; 
but I am so sick of everything that I cannot think 
anything nice, although Chun has been good, and 
assures me, as the missionaries did at Shanghai, that 
I shall soon get used to and like the Chinese “ chow 
chow.” 

Tuesday . — We have spent such a night, and thank 
goodness Chun has gone to see about a boat to Pa-li 
Kiao. I am sure I should die if I had to sleep here 
any more. The bedroom was bare and dirty, no carpet, 
a bed with a mat to sleep on, and no covering but a 
horrid smelly sort of quilt that must be fifty years old. 
It was so hot that no covering was needed, but I have 
been bitten all over with mosquitoes and fleas, if not 
something worse, and am wanting to scratch all over, 
and cannot even get a bath. The coolies outside did 
not stop talking all night long, sometimes singing ; the 
smell of their sickly tobacco filled our room thoroughly, 
and with the mosquitoes, fleas, and uncomfortable bed, 
prevented sleep. We could not even keep all our 
windows open, as some were overlooked from the oppo- 
site side of the courtyard. I must say Chun was good 
enough to try and fan me to sleep, but after a time he 
dropped off himself, and I had to lie awake wondering 
how he could. 

Friday. — Oh, it is worse and worse every day ! The 
boat, up to a place I forget the name of, was pleasant 
enough, and we had some bread and chicken, and some 
claret that Chun had managed to buy in Ningpo, but 
that only lasted three hours. Then we got into two 
bamboo chairs, the jolting of which nearly made me 
$ea-sick^ and were carried up as far as we could go 


188 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


before it got dark, through prettily wooded and culti- 
vated country, reminding me a little of Devonshire, but 
the smells were too disgusting. At one time we were 
following a lot of buckets which the coolies were carry- 
ing, and as the smell seemed to come from them, I got 
angry, and told Chun he was stupid not to make them 
stop, and go in front of them. He shrugged his 
shoulders rather impatiently, and said, “ It is only 
manure;” still he made them stop, and we passed 
ahead of them, apparently much to their amusement. 
It was very hot all the way, and of course we had no 
ice, and lukewarm tea seemed the only beverage that 
gave any refreshment. At last we reached the place 
where we had to spend the night. It was hardly more 
than a common wooden hovel, and it is really useless 
writing down again the horrors of the hours spent 
before the sun rose. It was worse even than Ningpo, 
and it was a mercy that we still had some of the food 
brought with us, as the people seemed to eat nothing 
but rice, stinking fish in oil, smelling worse than a 
lamp turned up too high, and nasty-looking vegetables. 
We had to be content in the early morning (it 'was five 
by my watch, but I suppose it ought to be “ set,” as 
they do the clocks on board ship) with a brass basin 
and a dirty blue rag with which to wash our faces and 
hands ; and as I had been foolish enough not to have 
put off my foreign clothes, my appearance attracted so 
much attention, that when we were starting quite a 
crowd of men, women, and children assembled to see us 
off, and the women were all anxious to touch and feel 
my clothes, which gave me the shudders. I remem- 
bered those dreadful beggars that we passed coming 


DISILLUSION 


189 

out of Ningpo gate, with their I'.eads corercrl with a 
sort of white scaly skin, which Ohun says he thinks is 
called leprosy in English. 

On we went, up hill and down dale, only waiting an 
hour at a tea-shop for some tea and to finish what food 
we had with us, until we reached here (Pa-li Kiao), at 
six p.m., when I was so tired that I simply undressed 
and flung myself on the bed, thankful to see sheets 
and a mosquito net again. It was quite in the early 
morning that I awoke, but on calling to Chun I found 
he was not in his room, which is next to mine, and had 
to call for some time before he heard me, which is no 
wonder, as these people seem to do almost without 
sleep in the summer, and there was a regular babel of 
cocks and hens, pigs, men and women, and especially 
coolies, who, as they carry anything down the street, 
apparently find it necessary to keep up a chorus as one 
follows another ; as far as I could make out, the first 
said, “ Oh heh,” the next “ Oh ha,” ‘‘ Oh heh,” “ Oh ha 
ho ho ho ho heh hi hoho ho heh ho ho,” and then all 
the same over again. When Chun came in he brought 
me a cup of delicious tea, but I was quite nervous with 
irritation, and asked him why on earth they made such 
a noise; he replied that it was the custom of the 
country, and that they were carrying green tea down 
to Ningpo, but I said, ‘‘ I never heard such a noise in 
Shanghai.” “Because the Foreign Municipal Council 
have put a stop to it in their settlement,” was his 
reply. “ Then why don’t you stop it here ? ” “I have 
not the power.” “Well, I must have something, a 
bell or something, to make the boy or coolie come when 
I call ; I have been crying myself hoarse to get a bath, 


190 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


and not a soul has come.” He replied very gently that 
he was sorry that he had forgotten the bells, but that 
he would order warm water from the tea-house, that 
was not far off— fancy having to send for warm water 
to a tea-house ! — and let me know when the bath was 
ready. Half-an-hour after he told me the bath was 
ready, and he would show me the way. I had been too 
tired to notice anything last night, but when I got to 
the top of the so-called staircase, it was so steep I was 
almost frightened to go down ; however, remembering 
that when I was quite young I used to delight in going 
up a ladder into the attics, I screwed up my courage, 
and taking firm hold of the banister, that Chun told 
me he had had put up for me, I found the descent not 
so bad as it looked. Chun then led me through the 
back door down a brick path to a wooden hut just like 
a bathing machine without wheels ; inside was a small 
looking-glass and a Soochow bath tub, the same as I 
used in Shanghai, with nice warm water, into which I 
was only too glad to get, after my two days’ experience 
of Chinese life in inns, although there was a piece of 
cabbage-leaf floating in it, which at first I thought was 
something alive. When I got out of the bath I found 
nothing to stand on but bare boards, but feeling in 
much better spirits from the regular scrubbing down I 
had given myself (heavens ! what a state my hair was 
in — it had taken fully two hours to wash and dry), I 
brought to mind that it was our first day here, ^nd that 
gradually I would manage to get things more “ ship- 
shape,” as the sailors say. I went up-stairs to dress, 
quite determined to be good, and when I passed Chun’s 
office, which he had shown me as we came down, and 


DISILLUSION 


191 


which was just at the bottom and right of the staircase, 
I peeped in and asked him if he would order breakfast 
in half-an-hour. When he saw me looking a little 
more like myself than I have been for some days, he 
smiled and said, “ Certainly ; I shall be quite ready, 
and am glad you are looking better.” I dressed myself 
in my black serge Chinese suit, which I find very 
uncomfortable, using a pair of man’s braces to keep up 
my trousers and all the other necessary underclothes — 
an invention of my own, as I could not bear the tight 
string that Chinese women use to keep up theirs. 
Then I came down, determined, as I have said, to be 
more amiable. When I got into the parlour (that is 
our one room down-stairs), I thought it looked quite 
nice ; the window, which is not a large one, was open, 
with white muslin curtains ; there was white matting 
on the floor, a table spread with a white cloth, comfort- 
able chairs, and even a piano in the corner. The boy 
shortly afterwards brought a very good fish, fairly well 
cooked, and we were really enjoying it, when unhappily 
it occurred to me to suggest that the door should be 
opened for the breeze; there were no back windows, 
and almost immediately afterwards all my good resolu- 
tions went to the winds. The window in front is about 
three feet from the ground, and above that a foot of 
white painted glass to prevent people from looking in. 
Not a moment had passed after the door was opened, 
when I heard a “ cluck, cluck,” and looking down, found 
a hen busily scratching at the matting, calling for its 
companions to enter ; two were seated on the door sill, 
hesitating, but before I had reahzed what was happen- 
ing, or Chun had risen to drive out the intrusive birds, 


192 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


one of the wretched Chinese dogs upset the birds on 
the door sill and sprang in, I suppose smelling my 
foreign blood (as I am told they can) ; it began 
making jumps forward and backwards, so that I was 
really frightened. Before Chun had managed to drive 
the brute and the hens out, and shut the door again, 
I was almost hysterical ; Chun tried to soothe me by 
saying that we must have some wire netting and some 
windows opened to the back, but all my appetite was 
gone, and the only thing I could do was to go up-stairs 
and lie down, and oh, how steep the stairs seemed ! 
Chun sent me up some soup and fowl for tiffin. I felt 
better after eating, but it was too hot to dress again, so 
I spent the remainder of the day in bed reading and 
writing; these up-stair rooms are much cooler than 
those down below, as with the doors open the wind can 
blow right through. Chun wished me good-night at 
about ten. I felt rather ashamed at not having 
examined the whole of our small domain — not even the 
front room up-stairs, which is shut off from our bed- 
rooms by half-doors, the centre filled with green gauze 
silk. 

Saturday . — This morning Chun sent the boy into 
my room at half-past six with hot tea. I had my bath, 
and after putting on my trousers, went down to break- 
fast in my thinnest tea-gown, which was given me by 
you, dear Lady Withington, and which I have found 
so useful in the hot weather during the voyage, enjoyed 
the fish and hot bread and milk which I had to get 
Chun to order for me. It is very annoying that this 
Ningpo dialect is so different from the mandarin that 
I have learned, that I can rarely understand what the 


DISILLUSION 


193 


natives of the place say, whilst they can’t or won’t 
understand a word from me. I rather think they enjoy 
listening, and then with a stolid face replying, “ Puh 
tung ” (we do not understand), as they see it vexes me. 
After breakfast Chun, instead of at once going out or 
into his office, walked quietly up and down the room 
five or six times ; he stopped opposite me in the chair 
in which I was sitting idly watching him, and gently 
but firmly taking me by both hands, said very gravely, 
“ Nellie, you must make up your mind to act differently 
to what you have been doing since we left Shanghai. 
I am as sorry as you for the inconveniences that we are 
having to put up with, but I have explained, and indeed 
apologized more than is fitting from husband to wife. 
You seem to forget that in our marriage we both 
promised ' for better or worse,’ and it seems to me that 
you have settled to have nothing but the better. I have 
sent to Shanghai for the netting to keep out the fowls 
and dogs when the door has to be opened, and for other 
things that I had overlooked, but you must not forget 
that you are my wife and in China, where a husband’s 
rights are greater than in England. I am not scolding 
or threatening, but I cannot have a constantly com- 
plaining wife at home to add to my other worries, 
which are by no means few.” You know the effect 
that the touch of his small hands has on my nerves, 
and as they tightened on my wrists to an almost painful 
pressure while he was speaking, I found myself thinking 
that 1 had been mean ; and then, with his black eyes 
still holding mine, he seemed to read my thoughts ; he 
released my wrists, and added much more gaily, “As I 
have said before, it is only a matter ol three months j 


194 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


try and look upon it as a long picnic, such as those we 
once had in England, which, although pleasant, were 
always accompanied by some discomfort.” I was really 
ashamed of myself, and hanging my head, said, “ I will 
try.” I hear my friends say, “ How weak,” but even, 
after thinking the affair over for some hours before 
putting it down on paper, I do not see what else I 
could have done. 


OHAPTEE VI 

THE FULFOEDS 

The milk after the first day or two struck NeHie as 
having an unpleasant taste : she discovered, by accident- 
ally seeing a water-bufialo driven into the yard to be 
milked, the source from which it came. The beast 
was new to her (although she might have seen many 
in Shanghai), and the water-buffalo’s intensely ugly 
appearance so horrified her that she insisted on 
condensed milk being procured. 

One morning, hearing screams from the bath-shed, 
Chun rushed in and found his wife standing helplessly, 
wrapped in a bath-towel, gazing in horror at a full- 
sized centipede, lying still on the ground, which he 
was successful in crushing with his foot. 

Complaints appeared daily in her letters about the 
almost unbearable smells, from the liquid manure 
passing to and fro in the street, which indeed, as Nellie 
wrote, could not be disguised by smoking a cigarette, 
and is one of the drawbacks to living in China. 

However, the various improvements suggested and 
thought out by Chun gradually came up from Shanghai, 
or were executed by local carpenters; the hath-tray, 
the condensed milk, bells, the wire-netting, more 
195 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


196 

lamps, furniture, and matting for the room above, 
which Nellie had found out was cooler and more 
adaptable than the down-stairs room, as when she 
sat there the curiosity of the population as to a 
foreign woman’s occupations would generally ensure a 
crowd of three deep at the door. The piano had to be 
left below. 

A baking-oven, a regular supply of American flour 
and yeast, an ice-chest and ice from Ningpo (where it 
is largely used in preserving fish), and a clock, had not 
been overlooked. Many passages show that Nellie had 
become very fidgety, nervous, and irritable, but towards 
the end of the week the following extract shows that 
she was either becoming more accustomed to circum- 
stances, or that the circumstances were becoming more 
bearable. 

I see I wrote rather too strongly about the hens 
coming into the parlour last Friday week. The horrid 
things seem everywhere in China, and quite an institu- 
tion, so much so that in telling my story in a letter to 
a friend in Shanghai, she wrote back quite chaffingly 
that I was really making mountains out of molehills, 
as she constantly found them strolling about her 
kitchen picking up the scraps, and Chun, I see, thinks 
me quite curious for disliking them. To-day I did 
like them. Chun and I were going through the yard 
to look at the creek, which is now half full and rushing 
down like a mountain torrent, and very exciting, when 
Chun spied a centipede, and making a sound of “ cluck 
cluck ” to our cock who was standing near pointed the 
insect out. The cock cleverly espying it made a 


THE FULFORDS 


197 


tremendous noise to draw his wives’ attention, but 
before any one of them had a chance, he rushed to it 
and gobbled it up. Good cock, but bad to his wives, 
as Chun tells me they are a favourite morsel with 
fowls. Dogs are kept out effectually by the wire, and 
the cook told me that the “ great master,” i. e. my 
husband, had insisted on the dog being killed that had 
jumped through the door. 

Sunday . — Chun has just told me that an American 
missionary is going to preach in a large room that he 
has rented this morning, and asked me if I would like 
to go. Of course I said yes, and he said that for once 
he would accompany me. I shall write more after I 
return. 

The service over, I came back rather disheartened, 
but in other ways amused. Notwithstanding the 
regular lessons that I have had with a teacher in this 
wretched dialect, I found I could hardly understand 
anything that Mr. Fulford the missionary said. Man- 
darin is a much prettier language than either the 
Shanghai or Ningpo dialects, and I wish they would all 
speak it ! j 

As a rule Sunday here, and all over China, is just 
the same as a week-day, excepting in the foreign 
settlements, where there is a diminution in the traffic, 
and where at any rate the ringing of the church bells 
reminds you of a day for rest. It is pitiful to realize ' 
that all the people around you are going through the 
same drudgery day by day, from year’s end to year’s 
end, excepting on a few days set apart as holidays, and 
at New Year’s time, which I have not yet witnessed. 
The sermon was long, and the prayers longer ; a wonder- 


CHUN Tl-KUNG 


198 

ful sound was produced by a few so-called converts, 
which represented singing, a succession of painful 
discords — I can hardly describe the noise, it was ludicrous. 
Most of the men and some of the women sat still in an 
apathetic manner, although every now and then some 
one or another would make that horrid noise in the 
throat before spitting on the floor, which is so universal 
that it really seems to be constitutional. It makes me 
shudder every time I hear it, and even Chun has some- 
times forgotten himself since he came here, at which 
I have not hesitated to show my disgust. He is 
growing his nails long again. I have told him it is 
repulsive, but he replies that it is more aristocratic, as 
it shows that he does not work with his hands. Thank 
goodness he has not yet abandoned washing himself, 
as most of the people here seem to have done; the 
smell in the room of devotion became loathsome 
towards the end. 

I see my pen has carried me away, and I must 
return to tell what happened at the close of the service. 
I was following my husband towards the door, and we 
were almost the last of the congregation; before we 
had reached it, to my surprise the missionary touched 
me on the shoulder, and requested me to spare him a 
few minutes’ conversation. Chun evidently overheard, 
looked back and nodded, so I retired a few steps with 
Mr. Fulford, who abruptly remarked in a nasal tone — 
I have been told by some of my converts that a 
foreign woman was living here in sin with a Chinaman. 
Your dress you see does not conceal your shame. I 
feel it my duty to warn you that the way of trans- 
gressors is hard, but that there is always a door 


THE FULFORDS 


199 


open for those that repent. Your presence here has 
encouraged me to speak plainly.” 

I was so astounded at his impertinence that I 
believe for a moment I must have looked guilty, as he 
added, “ The wages of sin is death.” I recovered 
myself, and answered him in his own biblical manner, 
“ Charity think eth no evil,” and then, not wanting to 
quarrel with the only foreigner I should see for a very 
long time, pointed to Chun at the door saying — 

“ I will introduce you to my husband, Chun Ti-kung» 
of the Hanlin degree, to whom I was married at St. 
Jude’s last year.” I walked slowly forward. 

Mr. Fulford was evidently dismayed, perhaps he had 
seen the notice of our unusual marriage in the ‘ Times.’ 

He hurriedly apologized, and unwillingly followed 
me, I fancy expecting me to make a scene, to where 
my husband stood, when I said, ‘‘Mr. Fulford desires 
to be introduced.” They both bowed in Chinese 
fashion, and Mr. Fulford was still further surprised when 
my husband in his exact English said very politely, 
“Perhaps as your boat is some distance from here, 
and you appear to have known my wife before, it may 
be agreeable to you to ■ partake of our humble midday 
meal, as the heat is great.” The missionary was 
evidently agreeably surprised, but replied that his wife 
was waiting for him in their boat, as it had been too 
hot for her to attend service, and that he guessed he 
must get back, but that they would do themselves the 
honour of calling on me the following day at five 
o’clock. What do you think of that ? as I have no 
doubt he will ask his wife. 

I did not undeceive Chun about our having met 


200 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


before, as the truth might have made him angry, and 
I was curious to meet Mrs. Fulford, as I have seen no 
foreign women up-country, and fortunately he took the 
thing as a matter of course. 

Monday . — There was not much to do in the morning, 
so finding that the kitchen, the furniture, and the 
floors were apparently being left to clean themselves, I 
devoted myself from 9 to 11*30 to overlooking the boy, 
cook, and coolie, while they made a thorough clean up, 
which, as I could not avoid hearing, caused a good deal 
of discontent, from the underbreath remarks in which 
Chinese are experts. 

After that I felt tired, and lay down until I had to 
see to the tea being ready for the Fulfords. I may say 
that our cook makes cakes and sweet biscuits fairly 
well. 

At about five o’clock they came ; my husband was 
at home, and we had a good long talk for nearly two 
hours in English, which was to me really a treat. 
Mrs. Fulford evidently enjoyed the cakes, and much 
sugar and milk in the tea. She is really rather a 
pretty woman, even dressed in native clothes, and 
seeing that I was in like fashion she gushed, ‘^Oh, 
my dear, I see you are sensible; what a comfort it 
is not to attract attention.” Considering that she is 
very tall, and has yellow hair, I could not help 
wondering if such were the case. She was very 
enthusiastic about the mission work opening for 
women in China; envied me the position I held as 
the wife of a mandarin, and the influence I could 
exert, and went on gabbling about the good that tracts, 
and such tracts as she had sent to her, must produce 


THE FULFORDS 


201 


on the minds of natives. She went on to say that 
certainly I must join her in the good work of dis- 
tribution, bringing out at last fifty tracts in Chinese, 
which, hoping to stop the flow of words, I said I would 
try and distribute. The fact is, that I could hear now 
and then that Mr. Fulford had dropped missionary 
talk, and was deeply interested in Chun’s experiences 
and thoughts of Europe. Mr. Fulford never having 
been out of America, was greatly interested, and would 
now and then point out to Chun differences in thought 
and custom between what Chun had noticed in Europe 
and what took place in America, and I would have 
gladly listened and had my little say. 

Try as I would I found it hopeless, and Mrs. Fulford’s 
speech inexhaustible. From tracts she turned to the 
hardships she has had to put up with for the Lord’s 
sake,” and then to insist on my coming to visit her, 
so that we might “bear each other’s burdens” and 
“possess our souls in patience.” It was at last with 
a sigh of relief that I heard Mr. Fulford’s voice, “ My 
dear, we must he leaving,” and they left, Chun escorting 
them to the door. After all it has been a change, and 
Mr s. Fulford means well, and I have made up my mind 
to call upon her to-morrow. I have an idea that the 
hardships in her case are to be found in a comfortably 
fitted up house-boat, and in a snug little villa on the 
hills near Ningpo. 

I know I am irritable, perhaps because ever since I 
came here I have been very much alone, the final 
closing of my husband’s father’s affairs having kept 
him at the coffin-shop nearly all the mornings and 
afternoons. 


202 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


This evening for the first time we have received a 
batch of home papers, including some pictorials, and 
Chun tells me that he has ordered them to be forwarded 
regularly every week. It is really very thoughtful of 
him, and I am thankful, as they will give me something 
to read at night. I am steadily progressing with my 
study of the Ningpo dialect, and find myself beginning 
to understand and speak much b(3tter; my hours for 
study are one in the morning and two after tiffin, and 
when it gets cooler I may manage more. 

Tuesday. — My husband for the first time has not had 
to go out this morning, so I asked if it would not be 
a good time to call upon his mother. He appeared 
puzzled and not over-delighted, but finally determined 
to go to his mother in the afternoon, and try if he could 
persuade her to see me to-morrow. He has been and 
is always so reticent about his life before his uncle at 
Hoochow adopted him, that I am intensely curious, 
and am fearful that something lurks hidden in the 
background ever since I heard of his natural father’s 
existence. After tiffin I asked him to let me have a 
chair and visit Mrs. Fulford. Certainly,” he said, and 
lent me his own, which is white owing to the mourning, 
but big and safe, as four bearers carry it, and I must 
be careful of myself. 

When I arrived at the boat it was just as I expected, 
and when Mrs. Fulford met me, and I had shaken 
hands, I could not help exclaiming, “ Oh how I envy 
you ! I would give anything to move about amongst 
all the pretty scenery, in such a comfortable boat as 
this.” To explain, the windows had muslin curtains, 
a punkah was being pulled lengthwise, while the bunks 


THE FULFORDS 


203 


on both sides were for the daytime covered with red 
cushions, on which you could lie down if you liked, or 
sit in comfortable fold-up arm-chairs. She was pleased, 
but replied in missionary style, “ There are drawbacks 
and disappointments in everything in life unless our 
thoughts are set on things above ; but how have you 
been employing yourself since you came to live here ? 
I do not pretend to understand how your husband, 
being as I hear rich and having such prospects, should 
accommodate you in such poor quarters, worse than 
many a Chinese merchant’s that I have seen in 
Ningpo.” 

I explained that owing to my husband being in 
mourning for his father, he could not make any display ; 
that I had been steadily studying the Ningpo dialect, 
which I found difficult, but that just now I had had a 
great pleasure through Chun’s having obtained a 
weekly supply of the mail papers from England. 

“Oh,” said she, “do you happen to have received 
any fashion papers ? ” 

“ Only one of the " Lady’s Pictorial,’ and I am wonder- 
ing at the way fashions have changed since I was at 
home.” 

“ Oh, you dear creature, I am dying to see it, and I 
am sure you will lend it me ; I have .been wanting one 
of those fashion papers for a month. The fact is, my 
husband and I intend making a trip to Shanghai in 
December, and as I have a piece of blue serge and 
another of blue silk for morning and evening wear, I 
have been racking my brains how to have them made 
up, so that they shall not seem old-fashioned or dowdy. 
Now I shall be all right, or at any rate nearly up to 


204 CHUN TI-KUNG 

date, and you are the good Samaritan that must 
help me.” 

I promised her the loan of the paper, through which 
I had glanced wondering what use it could be to me, 
and after that the whole tenor of the conversation 
changed, and she became eager to know all the latest 
news current when I left home, which we discussed 
over a well-served tea. It reminded me of my sisters 
in the old days when I was so bored by being asked if 
this or that looked or fitted well, but now it somehow 
seemed amusing and made me feel brighter; but at 
parting she felt bound to talk professionally again, 
saying, “Alas, after all what vanity and vexation of 
spirit all things are in this poor world.” I got home 
in good time for dinner, when my husband told me 
that he would take me to visit his mother next 
morning at 11 a.m., but that I must remember that 
she still considered herself in deep mourning, and that 
she, in granting this interview, was more or less doing 
it as a favour to her son. I felt huffed, and remarked, 
“Then perhaps my absence is more welcome than 
my presence, and I had better stay away altogether.” 
But Chun said that, as the matter had been broached, 
it had better be carried out, and I settled to go. In 
the evening we both devoted ourselves to reading the 
home papers; it seems out here as though we were 
fossilized in comparison to the constant movement in 
everything at home, from theatres to murders. 


CHAPTER VII 

THE CLOUDS GATHER 

Wednesday . — Since writing yesterday the visit has 
been made to Chun’s mother, and my knowledge of 
Chinese hfe has been improved, not to say disimproved. 
The impressions left in my mind of Chun’s accounts of 
his relations I find so different from realities, that I 
am beginning to have doubts of everything he has told 
me, and to feel more out of place day by day. 

The mother, instead of being a well-dressed and 
delicate Chinese lady as I had been led to expect, is 
a red-faced and shrill-voiced coolie woman, with appar- 
ently a great opinion of herself. Without noticing me 
or my entrance, she continued discussing in an over- 
bearing manner some charges made for mourning 
garments that she considered excessive. Even when 
her son interposed, and told the tailors that they could 
go, and that he would look into the matter, her manner 
was far from courteous, and I can assure you my feelings 
were neither daughterly nor even friendly. Her 
daughter entered soon afterwards. She walked forward 
in a silly affected manner and made her bow to Chun, 
leading her boy, a nice-looking lad, by the hand, and 
not noticing me at all. 


205 


2o6 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


Chun rather sharply remarked, ^^You have omitted 
to welcome the stranger,” when she gave me what 
appeared for a Chinawoman an impertinent nod and 
sat down by her mother, the pair of them staring at me 
without attempting to speak, until a coolie brought in 
some cups of tea, of which they asked me to partake. 
Chun Ti-kung and the boy had moved to the window, 
where they appeared to have a good deal to say to each 
other, but when I had begun to feel really uncomfortable 
at my inability to extract more than “ Yes ” or “ No ” 
from the females, the boy came over to me, and speaking 
in French, with a far better accent than I can pretend 
to, began to ask me if, being so far from home, my 
thoughts were not sad ? I told him that his uncle’s 
company was a recompense for many things I could not 
help missing. He laughed and said, “ Oh, you are like 
me, I shall not be at all sorry to leave mother and go 
back to school in Shanghai, but I will come and see 
you often before I go, if you will allow me.” I could 
not help seeing that his mother was fretting and fuming 
during the conversation, of which she could not under- 
stand a word, but Chun, who had been talking to his 
mother, turned to her just then, and saying, “We 
cannot stay any longer,” we left — not on my part with 
any regret. 

But I have forgotten the house and its surroundings 
in which my honoured ancestors lived. To tell the 
truth, the house is nothing but a large shop opening on 
the village street, which extends for perhaps a quarter 
of a mile. Next door is a sort of cooking establish- 
ment, where hams, roasted ducks, and other provisions 
were hanging up for sale, with a large stove or oven in 


THE CLOUDS GATHER 


207 


front, over which dough or rice cakes were constantly 
kept simmering in oil, in an iron pan, smelling unlike 
anything out of China. On the opposite side was an 
oil and wine shop, a curious but common combination ; 
a tea-shop was next door, from which the noise of 
shouting and chattering seemed unceasing. I cannot 
remember more, but in fact the shop was one of a row 
in a narrow street, housed in with mats to keep off the 
sun, with a drain on either side, into which all the 
refuse of a day’s clearances were thrown, such as cab- 
bage-stalks and peelings, whilst air seemed quite an 
unappreciated necessity. 

My mother-in-law’s shop had a counter at one end, 
at which customers could make their terms, and the 
background was occupied by handsome, darkly varnished 
wooden coffins, the ends fronting the light, on which 
were emblazoned in gold Chinese symbols, giving the 
appearance of monsters glaring from the gloom. The 
up-stair room was reached by a ladder similar to that 
in our own house, but without a railing. The rooms 
were bare, and dirty to an extent that pointed to months 
and months’ want of even dusting ; the walls had once 
been whitewashed, and the chairs and tables were of the 
commonest description. 

Every one has assured me that my husband is wealthy, 
and he certainly has always seemed to have the command 
of money when needed, but the miserable way in which 
both we and his mother are living, tests my faith, and 
when we gob home I had to take out my pearl necklace 
to see if its existence had not been a freak of imagin- 
ation rather than a reality. Chun when he returned 
with me was very silent and reserved, and so, just 


2o8 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


because I knew it would annoy him, I had a lamp 
placed in the lower room and played the piano, out 
of spite, until a noisy crowd assembled outside the 
house. 

Thursday . — I find the suggestion of Mrs. Fulford’s 
of putting one’s feet into a bag when sitting down to 
breakfast or any meal a very good one. It is marvellous 
how the poisonous little mosquitoes assemble under the 
table quite ready to assume the offensive on every 
occasion. The bag is certainly uncomfortably hot, but 
as I am not yet poison proof, as my husband is, I prefer 
the lesser evil. 

Of course Mrs. Fulford sent for my copy of the 
‘ Lady’s Pictorial ’ yesterday morning, and to-day came 
up to consult me about the best way in which to have 
her dress made up, having pretty well come to a con- 
clusion satisfactory to herself. Another mail had come 
up in the interim (mails are irregular, sometimes coming 
in too close together, and then none for a fortnight), and 
out of mischief I produced the later paper that had come 
by it, to see if the result would not be the same as it 
used to be with my sisters in the old days. I was not 
disappointed. Mrs. Fulford, after looking through the 
plates, was thoroughly confused, and saying that she 
had no idea that such changes could have been made 
in a week, begged the loan of the new issue, which she 
must study before going further into the question of 
making up, and after having tea, she left. I could not 
help laughing to myself, it was so exactly the same old 
story as it had been at home. 

For a wonder, in the afternoon I went for a walk 
with my husband, which was pleasant enough, as a 


THE CLOUDS GATHER 


209 


cool south-east wind was blowing. Out of curiosity I 
presented one of Mrs. Fulford s tracts to a respectable 
white-haired old woman at one of the farm-houses we 
passed ; she understood what I said, but shaking her 
head replied — “Honoured lady, I thank you, but I 
shall have to wait until some one will read it to me ; ” 
and as far as I can see, unless the tracts and bibles are 
left at tea-shops where one or two men in a village may 
be able to read them aloud, tracts, etc., are so much 
waste paper. Besides, the tracts are really too funny : 
I took the trouble on returning home to puzzle through 
one that had for its title ‘ Crackers for Christ,’ which 
attracted me. It began with a simple little story of a 
boy having been taken in the act of firing off some 
crackers in one of the missionary chapels, and that he 
was going to be punished, but explained that he did 
not think he was doing wrong as it was in praise of 
Jesus, and he did not know how better to show his 
pleasure. It then went on to point out the boy’s joy 
and bliss in believing, and the wonderful effect that 
Christianity was producing and would produce in 
ignorant minds. Deceitful little pig, was my comment, 
he ought to have been well spanked ; and what fools 
Chinese fathers must think us. Chun rarely laughs, 
but could not resist doing so after he had read the 
story, adding, “ That boy was clever ! ” Chun seems to 
have got a fit of depression since our last visit to his 
mother, and is so silent as to be oppressive. At dinner 
for the second time he suggested that I should take a 
trip to Shanghai, so that I might be near a foreign 
doctor, but I told him that I could not bear the thought 
of being separated from him at such a time, and that 


210 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


the prospect of the journey there frightened me. So 
the matter stands, although I am very nervous, and the 
hot days as they occasionally set in seem at times more 
than I can bear. 

Sahhrday . — We had rather an amusing time this 
evening in trying to teach each other a song of our 
respective countries, the result being a dreadful failure 
in both instances — mine the worst, as, with the squeaky 
fiddle accompaniment played by him, I could get 
nowhere near to the songs he had sung ; whilst he, with 
accompaniment on the piano, managed to get through 
“ Away with melancholy ” pretty creditably. 

Last night the rain came down in torrents ; the tile 
protection overhead proved very defective, and stream- 
lets of water here and there had to be supplied with 
buckets to catch them and our beds moved to a sound 
corner. 

Sunday has come now, and how delightful a change, 
the air feels as fresh as an English May day ; the street 
in front of our house has been swept clean of all the 
dirt and cabbage-stalks and orange-skins that had been 
accumulating for weeks. The morning meal I have 
enjoyed immensely, a sort of trout stewed with mush- 
rooms, as good as I have ever eaten, and cakes that the 
cook calls vafiler (probably the American waffles), eaten 
with butter and sugar, which are quite new to me. At 
about eleven Chun Fei-ting, my husband’s nephew, 
came in to see me, and to thank me for a small pocket- 
book that I had happened to find in one of my drawers 
and sent him as a present. I asked after his mother and 
grandmother, and he said they were well, but that he 
would much sooner be back at school in Shang-hai than 


THE CLOUDS GATHER 


iit 


having holidays in Pa-li Kiao, with nothing to do but 
fish, and no one to talk to but shop-keepers, who were 
constantly estimating the quantity of “dung tseen’^ 
(copper cash) that they had or hoped to make. “ It is 

so small a life,” he said, “ I want to be like fa 

uncle, and go to foreign countries, and become a medi- 
cine doctor.” The catch in the word was unmistakable, 
and there is so strong a likeness to my husband in his 
face and manner that — but then there is his mother, so 
that I must not take to being suspicious about small 
coincidences, which after all may mean nothing, 
especially as we talked French. He stayed to luncheon, 
to which my husband as usual came in, and we all 
talked away, learning many particulars of Fei-ting’s 
life at the school, where, from the prizes and good 
reports given by the French priests, and brought by 
him to show his uncle, he seems to be making good 
progress. 

On leaving he said, “ I should like to call you Little 
mother,” which I thought nice of him, but my husband 
spoke before I could, saying rather sternly, “I prefer 
your calling her aunt,” turning to me in explanation, 
“ Excuse it, but I am so fond of the sound of ma tante 
in French.” 

I had to return Mrs. Fulford’s call in the afternoon. 
She had apparently satisfied herself as to the more 
appropriate fashion in which to have her dresses made 
up, and after showing me the patterns she had selected, 
and which, if I had been she, I should have thought 
rather “ young ” for her time of life, she started on a 
new hobby — the sin of polygamy in China, and hoped 
that I looked at the matter from the same point of 


212 CHUN TI-KUNG 

view. I replied, “ I do not know, but I sincerely pity 
any second wife ! ’’ 

Friday . — Nothing has happened since I last wrote, 
excepting that Fei-ting has been constantly backwards 
and forwards, and that I feel almost jealous of the 
amount of attention and time that Chun gives to him, 
as much as an hour or two at a time. By Chun’s 
advice, I had asked Mrs. Fulford to come with her 
husband to dinner at seven. I am beginning to like 
Mr. Fulford much the better of the two; he does not 
seem at all so confident as she that every one who 
differs from him in opinion is bound to be wrong, and 
when Mrs. Fulford dragged in her new hobby of the 
sinfulness of polygamy, he turned round and said, “ My 
dear Theodora, I think you are talking far too strongly 
of a question that even in the days of the early Chris- 
tians was left open, and only spoken of with disapproval 
in the case of deacons and teachers.” Chun said he 
agreed with him, asking Mrs. Fulford what employment 
she would be able to find for the majority of females 
over males in the land of China, if polygamy were dis- 
allowed ? I felt angry at my husband’s remarks, but 
am afraid that pleasure at hearing Mrs. Fulford being 
snubbed extinguished my vexation. Fancy having to 
bear with such a gift of God day in and day out ! 

Chun produced a European chess-board and had a 
fight with Mr. Fulford and was beaten ; when the latter, 
saying that it was only fair that he should have his try 
for reveuge on his own ground, the Chinese board and 
men were brought, at which Chun was successful (the 
Tseang .ghe, not the Wei ghe), but the games were 
close at the finish. Both were pleased. 


THE CLOUDS GATHER 


213 


The new clock that we have lately received from 
Shanghai struck eleven, and Mrs. Fulford made an 
appearance of being shocked at the lateness of the 
hour, but as it was moonlight and fresh my husband 
and I both accompanied them half-way back to the 
boat, when we parted, Mr. Fulford telling me that he 
was going to preach on the Sunday at the usual room, 
which my husband overhearing, begged both of them 
not to be ceremonious (it shows how his knowledge of 
English customs has been educated), and to have tiffin 
with us, returning to their boat in the evening, to 
which they agreed. 

Sunday . — I could not persuade Chun to go with me 
to the service, as he is anxious to avoid any probability 
of scandal during the short remainder of his residence 
in Pa-li Kiao, so I went by myself, and was pleased to 
find that my knowledge of the Ningpo dialect had 
improved, and that I could follow him much better. 
It was very hot, and I could appreciate the good sense 
he showed in making both his prayers and address 
short. The subject-matter of the latter seemed very 
appropriate, on the disadvantages of deceit and lying, 
as I certainly, from my limited experience in China, 
am convinced that a lie, even for no apparent reason, 
is more frequent than truth. When the service was 
over he came to take me out, apologizing for his wife's 
absence on account of the heat, but adding, “ She is 
pretty comfortable with her books and paper, so I 
shall, if I may, still avail myself of your husband’s 
kind invitation, as I confess to being very hot and 
tired.” 

I had only a Chinese bamboo umbrella, but he had 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


214 

a mucli more sensible one of white calico lined with 
green. He said, quite without irritation, “I suppose 
my poor attempts at teaching bored your highly- 
educated husband last time, as I did not see him with 
you to-day.” But on my explaining the cause he said 
with a sigh, “ So I always find there are difficulties in 
every position and weariness in every walk of life ; ” and 
then in a very gentle voice, “ I suppose you must find 
them very hard to bear at present, but never forget 
that patience is a great virtue, and I am very glad of 
this opportunity to ask you to look upon me as a 
friend, and on any occasion that you really think you 
need a foreigner s advice do not hesitate to appeal to 
me, if I am within call.” His kind tone almost made 
me break down, but we were fortunately quite near 
home, and I was able to go up-stairs while he was 
shaking hands with Chun, and smooth my hair and 
feelings with an application of cold water. We had a 
very pleasant tiffin, and spent the afternoon in chatting 
on all sorts of subjects, and especially on the effect 
the opening up of China would have on the prosperity 
of the world. Mr. Fulford’s ideas are sanguine, but 
my husband’s remarks tended in the direction of the 
difficulty in reconciling so many diverging interests, 
especially those of the literati class. Mr. Fulford 
argued that a few years of closer acquaintance would 
bring about a closer . intercourse, whilst my husband 
argued that the difficulties of introducing the women- 
kind into society were almost insuperable. I caught 
again the puzzled and pitying expression on Mr. 
Fulford’s face which had struck me earlier in the 
day, and rather wondered what it could mean. The 


THE CLOUDS GATHER 


215 


lively conversation which followed, changing from sub- 
ject to subject, in which I had to take part, made the 
few remaining hours pass very pleasantly, and diverted 
my thoughts from melancholy subjects, until I came to 
review the day’s doings, when that wretched question 
repeats itself — “ What next ? ” 


CHAPTER VIII 


AN ILL-FATED BABE 

The diary must for a time be discontinued, to enable 
the reader more quickly to arrive at his aim — the end ; 
also to explain the difficulties in the position that had 
arisen. 

On the Saturday previous to the events last narrated, 
Mrs. Fulford had obtained the assistance of an amah 
from Ningpo, well skilled in needlework, to assist her 
and the Chinese tailor in cutting out and making up 
her dresses in the style determined on. 

Amongst scandal-mongers of any portion of the globe 
the Chinese amah would take an eminent position, and 
it is not surprising that amongst the items in the 
budget of the amah engaged by Mrs. Fulford, the 
story of Nellie’s residence in Pa-li Kiao had got em- 
bodied. Mrs. Fulford was fond of talking, and gladly 
listened to the scraps of news about the missionary 
and other ladies and their doings in Ningpo ; but she 
was not prepared for the next subject that the amah 
sprang upon her with the words, “ Eiya Missisee, how 
long you stop Pa-li Kiao ? ” Mrs. Fulford replied, but 
the amah, without pausing, continued — “ Ningpo side 
have got very culio talkee ; talkee have got one piecee 


AN ILL-FATED BABE 


217 


foreign galee, stop this side, belong all same China 
mandarin No. 2 wife. Talkee he name belong Chun 
ta jin (Chun Ti-kung’s honorary name). How fashion 
you tinkee ? My talkee no belong true. How can one 
foreign woman makee so fashion shame-face pidgin? 
Must belong very common piecee, suppose belong 
true.” Mrs. Fulford’s reply was: “My no savvy,” 
and she became silent during the remainder of the 
amah’s stay, the silence proving no let to the amah’s 
garrulousness. 

When Mr. Fulford returned from his visits to the 
few natives upon whom he had thought his teaching 
had made some impression, Mrs. Fulford told the story, 
and asked him if it could be true ? Mr. Fulford, taken 
aback, hummed and hawed for a minute or two, and 
then said — 

“ My dear, I am sorry to say that Chun Ti-kung has 
confided in me, and I have known for some days that, 

I am sorry to say, his first wife is living here. I ” 

But Mrs. Fulford’s pride was up in arms, and not 
allowing him to continue she burst out — 

“ You have dared to introduce me to a woman who 
is no better than she ought to be, and let me eat with 
her ! What can you think of me or of my feelings ? ” 
Mr. Fulford had regained his composure, and replied — 
“ The situation is a very difficult one, and at present 
I can see no clear way out of it. Chun says, and I 
believe him, that he greatly regrets not having tried 
to explain matters to Nellie earlier, but that in the 
present position of affairs he is fearful of the shock that 
this knowledge of the truth might have on his wife’s 
health. Everything that he says and does shows that 


2I8 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


lie is really attached to Nellie, and I am very sure that 
he never intends to take back the Chinese wife to live 
with him, as the marriage was from the first distasteful 
to him, and forced upon him by his family. Every 
country has its own laws and customs, and as I can see 
no remedy to apply in the present instance, I thought it 
wise to refrain from angry words, and trust you will see 
it in the same light, and I hope you will not make any 
difference apparent in your attitude towards Mrs. N ellie 
Chun.” 

Mrs. Fulford bounced from her chair and said — 

“ Can I believe my ears ? You, calling yourself a 
minister of the Gospel, think it right to leave a woman 
living in sin with a married man without denouncing 
her ! You, my husband, can imagine for a minute that I 
can continue my acquaintance with such a character ! 
You make me ashamed of you ! ” 

“ Gently ! gently ! Marrying a man that she did not 
know to be married was no sin on Nellie’s part, and, in 
China, marrying two wives is no offence against the law 
of the land. At the present juncture I think it would 
be the greater sin to possibly imperil the lives of mother 
and child by unwarranted tale-bearing. It is a very 
difficult problem to solve. Mrs. Nellie, by Chinese law, 
is a Chinawoman, and though perhaps she might, with 
the sanction of her fellow-countrymen, obtain a divorce 
on legal grounds, what could she do with her future ? 
Certainly the unborn babe has had no part in the matter, 
and its life should be our first consideration.” 

“ Say what you will, I cannot believe it right to let 
the poor woman run the chance of dying in sin without 
the chance of repenting,” 


AN ILL-FA TED BABE 


219 


Mr. Fulford, heated by the argument, replied im- 
patiently — 

“ Think what you will, who are we to judge our 
neighbours ? But understand this, that if you think it 
a sin to disobey your husband and break your vow, you 
will most certainly commit one if you interfere in 
this matter at all. In my opinion it is a matter that 
only Chun and his wife can settle between themselves. 
I don’t exonerate Chun at all for his deceit, but the end 
must be left in the hands of a higher power than ours.” 

Mr. Fulford had never in his life spoken so harshly 
to his wife before, and the result was that she broke 
down, sobbing and saying that with his views she had 
no doubt that the next thing he would do would be to 
bring some nasty Chinawoman to share his home with 
her ! Mr. Fulford left the room abruptly. 

A house-boat having only one cabin is a place rather 
inconvenient to quarrel in ; still in summer weather 
the deck in front is by no means an unpleasant retreat 
for a quiet smoke, and to this the angry husband betook 
himself, until the dinner was announced, a meal eaten 
in oppressive silence, although Mrs. Fulford managed 
to get in the last word as Mr. Fulford betook himself to 
his seat on deck, saying — 

‘‘ I am not at all sure that what you have pointed out 
to me is the path of duty. There is one duty towards 
God and another to man, and I must pray for direction.” 

At breakfast the next day Mrs. Fulford announced 
that she at any rate could not think of demeaning her- 
self by lunching with an unmarried woman living with a 
married man. Her husband, as already related, went 
his own way, and congratulated himself afterwards on 


220 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


having obtained the little private colloquy with Nellie, 
although in his inmost thoughts he probably wished 
most selfishly and sincerely that he was well rid of the 
whole complication. 

On the next day but one, from one of the letters 
latest written by poor Nellie, it appears that she com- 
plained to her husband that the call she had made on 
his mother had never been returned, to which he some- 
what confusedly replied, that although his period of 
mourning for his real though deposed father, Chun 
Se-fei, had expired, his mother still had to observe her 
full period of three years’ strict mourning. He con- 
tinued by saying that in three days he should be free of 
Pa-li Kiao, and thought it would be best for her to go 
with him to Ningpo, where she could be within reach 
of a foreign doctor. But this, for two or three reasons, 
Nellie would not do, and said that nothing would induce 
her to undertake the sedan-chair carriage down to 
Ningpo until her child was born. Chun expostulated, 
and suggested that they should take the longer route 
in a boat through the lakes; but Nellie proved immov- 
able ; and finally, Chun made up his mind to proceed 
to Ningpo by himself, and try to procure medical 
assistance. He was anxious about Nellie, and told her 
his decision, to which she only replied, putting her 
hand on his shoulder — 

“ Oh, don’t go ; I shall be so lonely.” 

The next day there seems to have been an explosion 
in the house of Chun, as Nellie, having an energetic fit 
upon her, had made an exploration of her various cup- 
boards, and of the floors under the mosquito-nets, and, 
in fact, into all the out-of-the-way corners, and had 


AN ILL-FATED BABE 


221 


found everywhere carelessness, dirtiness, and all sorts of 
rubbish stowed away instead of having been put on the 
dust-heap, which is daily removed if the coolie is pro- 
perly looked after. Fretful and nervous, she had not 
hesitated to call the boy a “dirty pig,” in answer to 
which he replied that he could not see the object of a 
common concubine (the Chinese characters for wife or 
concubine are approximate in sound) pretending to be a 
great lady. At once she went to her husband, and in 
his office repeated the words, and asked for an explana- 
tion. He sent for the boy, who, thoroughly frightened, 
swore that he had never made use of the word “ con- 
cubine,” hoping that his master — who was a good 
master — would overlook a speech of impatience on his 
part, as the coolie and not he had been to blame for 
the dirt. 

Chun then turned to his wife, sa3dng that the laziness 
and rudeness of the boy and coolie could not be over- 
looked, and that they should be punished. He told 
both of them to pack up their traps and be ready the 
next morning to walk • beside his chair that was to 
carry him towards Ningpo, “to which place,” he said, 
“ you must accompany me, unless you prefer coming 
with me at once to the magistrate.” 

The scamps guessed the reason for not having them 
punished on the spot, and agreed to be taken by him 
to Ningpo. Chun Ti-kung explained to Nellie that 
under the circumstances he must hurry his departure 
by one day, both to engage a new boy and to procure 
medical assistance. The cook would soon find her a new 
coolie, and in three or four days at the latest he would 
return. He then had to announce his intended de- 


222 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


parture to his mother, who took the matter quite philo- 
sophically, as she knew her affairs were in order, and 
she approved of the man that Chun had put in as 
superintendent of the business. Chun, before starting, 
called on Mr. Fulford, and asked him, if he possibly 
could, to visit Nellie daily to see how things were pro- 
gressing in his absence. Mr. Fulford, who would have 
greatly preferred, as already stated, leaving matters 
alone, but whose duties still detained him at Pa-li Kiao, 
could not see his way to refuse, especially when his 
wife, who was in the cabin where they were talking, 
suddenly and most inconsistently broke into the con- 
versation — 

“ I saw your wife yesterday, and thought her looking so 
ill that I could not let her be left in the fearfully lonely 
position that she is in now until your return. My 
husband will tell you, that before I left for China I had 
taken my certificate in Boston as a professional hos- 
pital nurse, so that whether my husband has to leave 
or not, I shall remain until your return, and he can 
pick me up again afterwards.” 

Chun expressed his strongest thanks for her un- 
merited kindness, and left greatly relieved in his mind. 
After Chun had left, Mr. Fulford turned to his wife, 
and taking both her hands kissed her, saying, “ After 
all you are a better Christian than I am, as without 
your intervention I think I should have shirked the 
situation and run away ! ” 

Mrs. Fulford, in spite of the heat, came to keep Nellie 
company at tiffin; and the cook, who, Chinese-like, 
was dreadfully afraid of being left alone in a house 
with a sick person, showed his great satisfaction at her 


AN ILL-FATED BABE 


223 


coming by the words, “ My too muchee glad, my fear 
mississee plenty sick.” 

When Mrs. Fulford discovered the state of nervous- 
ness and depression poor Nellie was in, she determined 
that she ought no longer to be left alone, and that 
after tiffin she would return to the boat, bring the 
things she needed, and take up her abode with Nellie 
that very evening. She told Nellie this at tiffin, 
who immediately became interested in planning what 
arrangements could be made, and showed her gratitude 
so simply that Mrs. Fulford ’s pity was almost mixed 
with love in spite of the whisperings of conscience. 

After altering Chuns room to suit Nellie, and seeing 
that sheets and mosquito-nets were rightly fixed, she 
was able to return to her boat for her belongings, and 
tell her husband of her proposed movements. Of course 
the departure of Chun Ti-kung had, the day after it 
took place, become village gossip, which had penetrated 
to the eaxs of Chun Ti-kung’s mother and his Chinese 
wife. These thought it a good opportunity to insult 
Nellie by sending a message through Chun’s young 
son, that she, Nellie, must be careful during her master’s 
absence not to injure or remove any of the valuable 
furniture in the house where she lived. Poor little 
Fei-ting had grown fond of Nellie in his boyish way, 
so that at first he almost refused to go, but great are 
the penalties of disobedience to a grandmother’s or 
a mother’s orders, and finally he had to undertake to 
deliver the injunction. Fei-ting had mentioned to his 
mother that, as his holidays were finishing, he intended 
calling to say “good-bye” to his foreign at 

which his mother had been much angered, asking him 


224 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


what he wanted with a foreign devil. However, his 
words suggested to her mind the mean little spite con- 
cocted with her mother-in-law, one of the rare occasions 
on which they agreed. 

Nellie’s last letter gave a short but pitiful account of 
the event in a postscript to one she had ready for the 
next mail. She wrote — “ I have just told you that I 
was feeling less nervous, and happier, for Mrs. Fulford 
kindly promised to stay with me until my husband’s 
return from Ningpo, but now I am thrown back again 
into despondency. Very shortly after Mrs. Fulford had 
left, my husbanH’s nice little nephew, whom I have 
mentioned before, and with whom I have had many 
amusing talks, came in to wish me good-bye. Of course 
I wished him good luck, and hoped that in time he 
would gain his object of studying to be a doctor of 
medicine in one of the foreign Universities ; but when 
I held out my hand for him to shake, I found his eyes 
full of tears, and he broke down, begging me to pardon 
the message that his grandmother and mother had 
insisted on his delivering. Fancy the wretched woman 
having the audacity to send a message to me, that I 
must be careful not to injure or remove any of the 
valuable furniture during my master s absence ! I was 
so astonished that I hardly knew what I did, but I 
think I only dismissed the boy, telling him that his 
grandmother and mother had better mind their own 
business. I am sorry for the boy — but fancy such an 
insult ! And what can it all mean, as I said when I 
first came to this dreadful place ? ” 

The storm that had been threatening all day broke 
in all its might at about half-past five ; the rain came 


AN ILL-FATED BABE 


225 


down in bucketfuls, the thunder and lightning deafen- 
ing and dazzling at intervals. It proved impossible for 
Mrs. Fulford to cany out her plans that evening; and 
poor Nellie passed a most miserable and lonesome 
night. The storm, instead of clearing the air, was 
followed by a day of intense mistiness and damp heat ; 
the clouds hung so low that the light at mid-day was 
almost reduced to dimness ; not a breath of wind 
moved a leaf, and the moisture as it fell drip, drip from 
the trees was a sound that seemed dreary enough 
even to dispirit the birds, while the frogs were the 
only beings that seemed by their guttural notes to 
be welcoming the rain. 

A fast boat had brought a note to Mr. Fulford early 
in the morning, from a friend of one of his converts, 
who lay dying at a village ten li distance, begging his 
presence, as his convert wished to have the consolation 
of, the prayers that Mr. Fulford had taught him to 
think so efficacious. Mr. Fulford was of course anxious 
at once to leave; Mrs. Fulford, saying she saw the finger 
of Providence pointing out her duty to her, started 
at once with her belongings to Chun’s house in spite of 
the weather, trying to smile at her husband through 
the tears that fell, partly at the pain of parting, but 
more from a feeling of ominous depression, about what 
might or would happen during her voluntary attendance 
on Nellie. 

When she reached Nellie’s the effects that the storm 
and loneliness had had upon her were only too ap- 
parent ; her pulse was high, her temperature far above 
normal, her talk feverish; she was constantly calling 
for her husband, “Chun, my Chun.” Mrs. Fuiibrd’s 


226 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


hand pressing on her head seemed at times to have 
a soothing efifect, and also the application of a towel 
dipped in water; the ice had run out, and the daily 
supply had been delayed by the storm. Shortly after, 
the pangs of labour commenced. Mrs. Fulford’s train- 
ing as a nurse had been in a first-class school; she was 
healthy and able to bear the strain, anxiety, and want 
of sleep that she suddenly found thrown upon her 
shoulders, not only without wavering, but showing 
great tenderness in her treatment of her patient. 

Perhaps at times the thought could not be excluded, 
“ better for her to die,” but still she fought as bravely 
as she was capable for the life of mother and child, and 
when some twelve hours afterwards a female child lay 
in peaceful slumber beside its worn-out mother, the 
relief was immense. 

Nellie’s prostration was so great that Mrs. Fulford 
still did not dare to abandon her place until stimulants 
had revived and sent her to sleep, when, having during 
the night managed to procure the services of a decent 
Chinese shopkeeper’s wife (whose husband used to 
attend at Mr. Fulford’s place of worship) to act as 
nurse and watcher, she felt at last able to throw herself 
on the couch for an hour or two of well-earned repose 
— that greatest boon on earth, repose earned in the 
sweat of one’s brow. 

The next two days, during which, although the heat 
was great, there was a refreshing breeze from the 
south, everything seemed to progress slowly but satis- 
factorily. Nellie was able to take the nourishment 
which Mrs. Fulford thought desirable, and which she 
found easy to procure, as on asking she found that 


AN ILL-FATED BABE 


227 


Chun Ti-kung had (evidently after consulting a doctor) 
laid in such a store of tins of arrowroot, sago, and 
oatmeal, champagne, port-wine, brandy, and porter, 
that the superabundance made her smile. The small 
baby seemed healthy, and less peevish than most 
foreign babies are, and the motherly spirit appeared to 
have awakened in Nellie, so that her worn face broke 
into smiles when for short periods the precious atom 
was allowed in her arms, and the calm that ensued 
seemed to Mrs. Fulford so beneficial that she allowed 
the daughter and mother to lie together until the 
latter fell into a deep sleep. 

In the early morning, Mr. Fulford having returned 
from the death-bed and burial of his poor convert, 
walked from the boat up to the house, and was pleased 
to find his wife, looking bright and in good spirits, 
already on foot. On seeing him she ran up-stairs, 
saying, “Wait a moment,” and after telling the nurse, 
whom she had found an unusually quiet and attentive 
woman, what to do when the patient awoke, she came 
down again with her hat on, saying, “ Now I’m going 
to walk down and breakfast with you on the boat ; I 
can safely spare an hour, and I want to tell you all 
that has been going on, and I really want a breath of 
this fresh morning air.” 

They took each other’s hands and kissed, and 
perhaps felt more in tune than for a long time past ; 
their respective stories were told on the way to the 
boat and during breakfast, and possibly the hour may 
have extended to two — what matter ? there seemed no 
cause for uneasiness, although Mrs. Fulford did, when 
walking back, remark, “ I wish Chun would come back 


228 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


and relieve me of this dreadful responsibility. I agree 
with you now, and do not see what can be done for 
poor dear Nellie. In her ravings his name was con- 
stantly repeated ; she must love him, and I fancy he 
must love her too, so that it is all terribly sad. Don’t 
you hurry, but I see I have been longer away than 
I intended from the sick-room, and must go back 
quickly.” 


CHAPTER IX 


THE BLOW FALLS 

In this little world of ours there are so many sides 
to every question, that it is well to try and put yourself 
in the place of the marplot to whom you have a strong 
antipathy before judging too harshly. 

That Chun Ti-kung’s Chinese wife was a vulgar, 
stupid, utterly unfit companion for her husband, there 
is no question. That she was anxious for the rise in 
position that Chun’s recognition of her as his wife 
would secure was only natural, and the way in which 
Chun had evaded her importunities from year’s end to 
year’s end, had certainly been unfair, though easy to 
comprehend. That she should find it impossible to 
conceal her jealousy, notwithstanding her promise of 
silence, especially when her son took a strong liking to 
Nellie, was only human nature ; and so, when the news 
reached her ears that Nellie had given birth to a girl 
and not a boy, the craving to see and taunt her before 
Chun Ti-kung should return took such hold of her 
mind, that by degrees it became impossible to resist. 
From Chun’s cook and coolie she managed to extract 
promises, that if by any chance the missionary lady 
229 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


230 

should leave Nellie’s side she was to be at once 
informed. 

Mr. Fulford’s return, and Mrs. Fulford’s intention 
of walking with him to the boat, were reported to 
her almost before they had left Chun’s house, and 
although as a rule she was a lazy lie-a-bed, the excite- 
ment of malice roused her; she was quickly dressed 
and at Chun Ti-kung’s door, which was opened to her 
by the coolie, whom she in a shrill voice told at once 
that she wanted to see his mistress. The trustworthy 
nurse hearing the noise, ran down the stairs as quickly 
as she could, begging and trying to order less noise, 
but the angry Chinese wife pushed her on one side 
with filthy abuse, and began to mount the stairs in 
spite of the nurse’s efforts to hold her back. The 
shrill clamorous voices had in the meantime wakened 
Nellie with a start, and she called for help, which was 
almost immediately answered by the two struggling 
Chinawomen precipitating themselves into the room 
with disordered hair and torn clothes, when the nurse, 
seeing further obstruction was useless, let go and sank 
on the floor sobbing. The passions of the ill-bred 
Chinese wife, inflamed by the struggle, vented them- 
selves in passionate Chinese Billingsgate. 

“You pig, you born of a pig, you dog, you foreign 
devil, I have come because heaven has turned in my 
favour at last. You who have stolen my husband, who 
tried to turn my son to your filthy tastes, and made 
me call myself Chun’s sister-in-law when he is my 
husband and always has been. What do you think he 
will say or think about you, when he finds you have 
only brought him a puny useless girl ? He will return 


THE BLOW FALLS 


231 


to me, the mother of his son, and yon, you mud, will 
be sent to earn your living in the brothel from which 
you came.” 

Nellie had in fright and terror half raised herself in 
bed and gazed with horror at the intruder, whom she 
had at once recognized ; but before the hideous words, 
pointing truth to her worst suspicions, had finished, 
she felt in her heart that a fatal and long-expected 
blow had fallen, her face turned deadly white, and 
gasping for breath she fainted, while the startled baby 
screamed. Mrs. Chun Ti-kung, the Chinawoman, who 
had never seen a woman faint, stopped short, stared, 
and in a panic ran down the stairs and up the street, 
almost cannoning against Mrs. Fulford, who was hurry- 
ing to the house from the opposite direction as fast 
as her short breathing after climbing the hill would 
permit, in amaze at the noise that seemed to come from 
the sick-room. 

On entering the room that she had left peaceful and 
tidy so short a time before, her first glance fell at once 
on Nellie, and she shivered, fearing that death had out- 
witted her after all, when she noticed the colour of her 
face and the tightened grasp with which she clutched 
the sheet. She raised Nellie’s head on the pillow, and 
finding that she still breathed, turned to call for 
assistance, when for the first time she took in the 
helpless state to which the nurse was reduced, and the 
choking sobs that the baby was making. She felt for 
the moment helpless. Fortunately Mr. Fulford arrived 
on the scene, and when she heard his step below she 
called, “ Abraham, come up at once, I want you. Get 
me some water from that small room and a fan.” She 


232 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


dashed the water in Nellie’s face, waving the fan 
rapidly. 

“Try now, Abraham, and bring that "nurse to her 
senses, or the child will go into a fit.” The nurse’s good 
sense was already returning, and when Mr. Fulford 
spoke to her, she roused herself and soon had the 
crying child in her arms, soothing her. “Get me 
brandy — there it is on that shelf,” said Mrs. Fulford, 
pointing. “ A spoon is on the table, and try and get 
some bet\Teen her teeth while I raise her head. I don’t 
know how long this faint has lasted.” 

Mr. Fulford managed to get the spoon between 
Nellie’s teeth, and for a second or two it seemed 
doubtful if the brandy would not choke her, but she 
managed to swallow it at last, and after a few seconds 
opened her eyes, and presently closed them again in a 
sleep of such sheer exhaustion that Mrs. Fulford shook 
her head, and putting Nellie’s wrist in Mr. Fulford’s 
hand, showing him where the pulse was, said, “ Call 
me if it weakens, I must get some food ready for her 
the moment she opens her eyes again.” 

She crossed the room to where the baby was in the 
nurse’s arms, and found it taking the breast from the 
still shaking woman, but although she again shook her 
head, she could think of nothing else possible but to 
allow it, so hurried down-stairs. 

The cook and the coolie, after the Chinese Mrs. 
Chun Ti-kung had rushed from the house panic- 
stricken, had thought it advisable to decamp, though 
they returned to their duties later, and Mrs. Fulford 
found the rooms below vacant. Fortunately the fire 
had not quite gone out, and she found beef-tea, that 


THE BLOW FALLS 


233 


she had prepared the night before, in a basin ready 
to be warmed, so that before a quarter of an hour 
had elapsed her beef-tea was ready, and a pint of 
champagne unwired and ready to be uncorked. She 
sat for a minute or two idle, wishing desperately for 
Chun Ti-kung s return, till her husband’s voice reached 
her softly down the stair-case, “ Her eyes are open, but 
she does not speak.” 

Mrs. Fulford took the beef-tea in one hand and the 
bottle of champagne under her arm and mounted, gave 
the bottle to Mr. Fulford to open, and for the next ten 
minutes the two fed Nellie alternately with a dessert- 
spoonful of beef-tea and of champagne. The swallowing 
was not always easy and was purely mechanical, but when 
Mrs. Fulford stopped the feeding and took the pulse 
she felt a little more hopeful, as it was not quite so 
fluttering. Mr. Fulford had not been accustomed to 
sick rooms, and had had the sense to obey his wife’s 
orders quickly and silently, and when, half-an-hour after- 
wards, he appreciated the quiet that reigned, Nellie 
asleep, and the amah and child pacified, he gazed across 
at his wife who was watching in a rocking-chair, with 
admiration of quite a new sort. The situation had 
brought out the woman. 

During the next day Mr. and Mrs. Fulford prayed 
together for the return of Chun Ti-kung with the 
doctor he had gone to fetch. 

Mrs. Fulford’s resources as a nurse were pretty well 
at an end, and she did not know what treatment to 
adopt. 

Another difficulty now arose : the May meetings, 
lasting a fortnight, for general prayer at all the open 


234 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


ports in China had been fixed, and the Fulfords’ tinae 
for reaching Ningpo could not be prolonged beyond the 
following evening without gi’eat inconvenience. Mrs. 
Fulford, however, determined that they could not leave 
Nellie alone; and when her husband gloomily sug- 
gested, “You know that Chun Ti-kung might not 
return at all ! ” she indignantly repudiated the notion ; 
and she was right. 

The delay in Chun’s movements requires explanation. 


CHAPTEK X 

CHUNKS UNFORTUNATE DELAY 

When Chun Ti-kung had left the Fulfords five days 
before the last events took place, he found his boy and 
coolie submissively waiting beside his chair ; had they 
disobeyed, they knew full well that his influence would 
be sufficient to ensure their ' arrest, and they preferred 
trusting to the leniency of their master rather than to 
the thin shadow of a chance of escape. 

Chun vented on them his anger and uneasiness in 
strong terms, saying that after all he had a great mind 
to pack the pair of them off to the Te-]pao and have 
done with them, but on their Iww-towing, and remind- 
ing him of his promise to take them to Ningpo, his 
first thoughts seemed best, as theif examination and 
punishment in Pa-li Kiao would soon have become 
public property, and he told them that it should be as 
they desired. His four bearers, travelling by eight 
and day (with two extra to change and change about), 
managed to bring him down in twenty-four hours 
to the place where tlie boat he had ordered was 
anchored in the Ningpo river. He would not stop for 
the usual night’s rest, as his nervousness made delay 
intolerable. The bearers had rather a bad time of it, 

23S 


CHUN TI KUNG 


236 

as they were only allowed short intervals for refresh- 
ment and to get their breath, but they were as usual 
in good training, and were not unaccustomed to such 
rapid transit. On the other hand, the condition of the 
boy and coolie, who had to precede the chair, and were 
kept under surveillance by the bearers unemployed at 
each change, gave to Chun in his angry humour a 
grim pleasure, as towards the end of the journey they 
staggered in their walk, and could only draAV their breath 
in sobs. 

The boat attained at Hung Miao th’ou, the two poor 
wretches found respite : the six chair coolies, hand- 
somely paid, no doubt spent a merry afternoon before 
returning to their homes, and Chun flung himself on 
the couch in the cabin, and slept straight through the 
three hours’ passage to Ningpo, and an hour longer 
after his boat had come to a standstill close alongside 
the Ningpo bridge of boats — anchored barges with 
planks flxed from one to the other. The boy had the 
sense to have tea, rice, and some fried fish ready by 
the time his master woke ; Chun felt in better spirits 
from the sleep and food, and the result was that both 
the boy and the coolie were told that the journey down 
had been a punishment that they would not soon forget, 
and that as he had no time to waste they could go 
their ways, but that if they should cause him any more 
annoyance in the future, they had better look out, as he 
had a good memory for faces. 

Only too gladly the two scallawags took their 
departure, minus wages, but also minus a beating and 
the disgrace thereof. 

On landing Chun started off at once for the Foreign 


CHU.VS UNFORTUNATE EE LAV 


237 


Hospital for Chinese, sent in his card, and in a very 
short time had explained his difficulty and the need for 
better medical treatment than was procurable at Pa-li 
Kiao. Dr. Pirn was interested in the case when Chun 
had told him all about his marriage with Nellie, and 
said he should have liked to go with him himself, but 
that he had two or three rather difficult operations to 
perform and could not leave for a week, and this, he 
supposed, would be too late. Dr. Pirn then said the 
best he could do would be to send his first assistant, 
who had been with him for over eight years, and in 
whom he had every confidence. “ But even tliat I 
cannot do till the day after to-morrow, as our hands are 
very full.” 

What to a foreigner would have been a further source 
of irritation was regarded by Chun as the inevitable ; his 
energy had perhaps been somewhat expended on the 
journey down from Pa-li Kiao, and the knowledge that 
he had left Nellie in competent hands proved a very 
narcotic. Her confinement was not expected to take 
place for at least a week, so he reckoned that he would 
have at least two clear days before his and the doctor’s 
presence would be necessary. 

In fairly good contentment he found his way to the 
Chinese inn to which he had sent his baggage, and 
after lunching, he bethought himself of the best way 
to pass the next two days, finally determining to call 
on the Ningpo Tao-tai, and also on the branch firm of 
his bankers, to see how his credit with them stood, as 
he knew his drafts on them since he left for Europe 
must have aggregated to something considerable, and he 
had been careless in keeping account. 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


238 

His first visit was naturally to the Yamen, where 
he found himself cordially received by the Tao-tai, 
who having seen his appointment to Wuchang-foo in 
Hoopeh as Tao-tai, in the Peking Gazette, warmly ad- 
dressed him as his elder brother of the Hanlin degree, 
who, he was glad to notice, had been appointed to the 
Tao-taiship of Wuchang, a place much below his deserts, 
but no doubt a stepping-stone to much greater advance- 
ment in the future. 

His appointment was news to Chun Ti-kung, but 
when he told the Tao-tai he had heard nothing about 
it, the Tao-tai remembered that some official dispatches 
had been received at his Yamen addressed to Chun Ti- 
kung at Pa-li Kiao; and calling up a ready lie, he 
explained that he had forgotten that Chun had not yet 
received the letters that he had retained for him, as he 
had been told that his most honoured elder brother was 
on his way to Ningpo, and had feared that if he had 
sent them away they would have crossed each other. 

That the official document, marked with the strongest 
characters for speed in the Chinese language (“ through 
fire and water”), and a letter from his father in Hoochow, 
had lain for a week in the Ningpo Yamen, without 
any one having found it his business to forward them, 
was not at all an unusual occurrence. The Tao-tai, 
however, anxious to cover his laxity, when he handed 
them to Chun said, ‘‘I have no doubt that you will 
find your news in these, and I once more congratulate 
you ; but before you read them I must mention that, 
making sure of 37'our arrival, I have already notified the 
officials of the neighbourhood of the happy event, and 
I trust you will honour us with your presence at a 


CHUNKS UNFORTUNATE DELAY 


239 


banquet which I have arranged for the second evening 
from this at my small dwelling.” 

Against the grain, for it meant quite twenty-four 
hours’ delay, Chun Ti-kung had to accept, as he had 
no valid excuse to plead ; the possible life or death of 
a second wife not carrying sufficient weight to enable 
him to decline such an invitation from his superior in 
office, his own higher degree making it all the more 
difficult to, refuse. 

He took his letters with thanks and hurried back to 
his inn to read them ; the interview, what with the 
ceremonious greetings, tea drinkings, and polite bows at 
parting, having taken all the morning. The official 
document simply notified him that he was appointed 
acting Tao-tai at Wuchang, to which place he was to 
proceed immediately and take over the seals of office. 

Chun Yu-tai’s letter was to the effect that he had 
received private information of the appointment, but 
that there was not in reality any great hurry for Chun 
Ti-kung to take it up, until he had spent at least a 
month at Hoochow. He wrote : — 

‘‘The Tao-tai Sung, in office there at present, has 
pleaded ill-health, and received permission to retire for 
a year. I know on good authority that he is not a sick 
man, but that he would gladly evade the strict investi- 
gations ordered into all the revenue accounts by the 
Peking Government. I have written to some influential 
people in Peking, and you must write simply informing 
the Board that my orders compel you to postpone taking 
up your duties for a short space. His Excellency Sung 
by that time will have had to disgorge some of his ill- 
gotten gains, whether to the investigation or to the 


240 


CHVN TI-KUNG 


Government, who can know ? You ought to have 
finished your business at Pa-li Kiao, and I am anxious 
to see you and your foreign pearl of whom you have 
written so much. I cannot understand her not objecting 
to being a second wife ; foreigners must have changed. 
You will see, hy what I have done, it is necessary that 
you should at once come here for appearance sake, even 
if your wishes run in a contrary direction.” 

Chun Ti-kung at once set himself to answer both 
epistles, which he found a far from congenial task, 
especially that part of his letter to his father in which 
he had to explain that he could not leave for Hoochow 
for a fortnight at least, as his foreign wife was expecting 
to be confined. Next day on calling at the bank he 
found a pleasing surprise in the shape of a letter await- 
ing him. The letter set forth that, acting in accordance 
with Chun’s instructions, the bank had, from time to 
time, as rents from his property in Shanghai accumu- 
lated, invested his money in ground further removed 
from the centre of the settlement ; that without further 
definite instructions from Chun (his property had in- 
creased so immensely in value) they would neither 
feel themselves in a position to advise selling, buying 
further, or holding ; that the rise had been very rapid, 
and that his estate was now worth more than half a 
million taels, so that without further instructions they 
should no longer care to move in any way, excepting so 
far as collecting and crediting with rents and interest 
as they fell due. 

Chun Ti-kung dashed off an answer by telegram — 
“ Shall arrive Shanghai fourteen days,” and felt so elated 
at his position, that at the Tao-tai’s dinner he displayed 


CHUNKS UNFORTUNATE DELAY 


241 


very high spirits, and made many brilliant remarks, so 
that after the banquet, when the Tao-tai escorted him 
to the door, he remarked to Chun, almost reprovingly 
— “ To meet success and failure with equal equanimity 
is the part of the superior man.” 

Exuberant spirits are looked upon by the Chinese 
in very much the same way that the Scotch express 
by the word “ fey ” ; and it was strange how the Tao- 
tai’s parting words gained the ascendency over Chuns 
cheerful thoughts that the unexpected promotion in 
rank and riches had naturally produced. On arriving 
at his boat (he had managed to excuse himself from 
the official dinner at about one a.m.), he found Dr. 
Pirn’s medical assistant and the boy already on board, 
and asleep; the lowdah was roused out, and as the tide 
and wind were favourable, the boat was immediately 
got under weigh, and arrived at its destination in 
quick time. 

Chun Ti-kung tried to get some rest during the few 
hours on the boat ; but he could not help remembering 
that it was already the morning of the sixth day since 
he left Pa-li Kiao, and what sleep he managed to 
obtain was always broken in upon by a sense of dis- 
aster, probably the result of the Ningpo Tao-tai’s 
quotation. 

On arriving at the jetty, Chun found that chairs and 
coolies had been engaged, and kept waiting for him 
and the doctor by Mr. Fulford’s orders for two days. 
A short note explained that a child had been born, that 
the mother was very ill, and that every moment was 
precious. 

The chair journey up was pushed at the utmost speed 

R 


242 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


possible, but it could not be managed under twenty- 
four hours, and as the day was hot and dusty, three 
hours’ rest in the afternoon had to be allowed the 
bearers, and the day was breaking before Pa-li Kiao 
was reached. 


CHAPTEE XI 

DEATH THE HELPER 

As might have been expected, the hurried retreat of 
Chun’s Chinese wife from Chun’s house had not escaped 
the notice of the Pa-li Kiao villagers, especially as her 
hysterical cries on her way to her mother’s house had 
been of a nature to arouse suspicion of some disaster 
having taken place. 

After her arrival at her home a high-voiced quarrel, 
followed by screams, had occurred between her and her 
mother-in-law, and was distinctly heard by the near 
neighbours, and every one knew that Chun ta jin’s ” 
foreign wife was brought to death’s door. These re- 
ports in a quiet village like Pa-li Kiao created unusual 
excitement. 

Under such circumstances, it is not to be wondered 
at that Chun Ti-kung’s arrival at Hung Miao th’ou had 
been keenly watched for, and that by means of a 
fast runner his arrival had become known at Pa-li Kiao 
some time sooner than he could make the journey him- 
self. On hearing it, Mr. Fulford immediately started 
off to meet Chun, to prepare him for the sad position of 
affairs that awaited him. 

He met Chun about a li from home, shook him by the 
hand, and persuaded him to finish the short distance on 
243 


244 TI-KUNG 

foot, while the doctor and impedimenta with all speed 
pursued their way. 

During the short walk he was able to tell Chun that 
the origin of the trouble had arisen from his Chinese ^ 
wife having surreptitiously obtained access to Nellie’s 
room, and the sad straits to which the visit had reduced 
Nellie, brain-fever, as Mrs. Fulford feared, threatening; 
the child seemed healthy, and he was sorry that his 
news was so inauspicious. Chun, who had been thor- 
oughly upset by the letter he had already received, 
thanked Mr. Fulford, and then saying that his only hope 
was to arrive in time to see his loved wife before she 
die^d, started off at such a pace as to render further con- 
versation impracticable. Mr. Fulford had meant to 
console him by saying that Chun had acted rightly in 
not telling Nellie the truth at the last moment; but 
Chun’s distress was beyond praise or blame, and he only 
abhorred talk. 

Meanwhile the doctor had been met by Mrs. Fulford 
on his arrival, and taken up to see Nellie, and when 
Chun came in a few minutes later he was informed 
that nobody was to go up the stairs without permission. 

Chun felt annoyed, but little time was allowed him 
for thought, as his mother had hurried up to see him. 
He took her into the study (every sound in an ordinary 
Chinese house can be heard throughout the premises), 
and she begged him to overlook the great wrong his 
wife had done him in not keeping her promise of 
secrecy. 

I have severely punished her with the rattan,” she 
said, ‘^and she is now overwhelmed with disgust at 
herself.” 


DEATH THE HELPER 


245 


It is good that she has been chastised/^ was Chun’s 
reply, and well the wretch may be ashamed of herself. 
I cannot forget that you bore me, but your heart is cor- 
rupt, and I no longer look upon you as a mother, or the 
wretched creature you made me marry as my wife. A 
letter from my son reached me at Mngpo, telling me of 
the vile message you sent to my Nellie, and I know not 
how to believe you when you say that you were not an 
accomplice in this last devil’s business. Go! ” Mrs. 
Chun Se-fei fell on her knees, and with voluble tongue 
commenced to plead her rights as a widowed and ill- 
treated mother, hut at a motion from Chun she was 
removed from the house and taken back in her chair 
to her dwelling, angrily and noisily pouring out her 
grievances to the amused crowd that accompanied her 
on her way. 

Mr. Fulford had been drinking the coffee and eating 
the breakfast prepared for him, but could not help 
overhearing the mother’s account and her son’s answer, 
and he felt his confidence in Chun’s good intentions 
restored; and when the latter seated himself at the 
table, and dispiritedly began eating the food nature 
demanded, Mr. Fulford tried his best to put forward 
some hopeful suggestions, but Chun’s attention was 
devoted to listening for a summons from up-stairs. 

More than half-an-hour had passed before Mrs. Ful- 
ford came down. She had evidently been crying, and 
in a broken voice said — Mr. Chun, this is no time for 
hard words; the doctor thinks you may not see your 
wife alive unless you go up now. It will in any case be 
a very poor consolation to you, as she is asleep, and you 
must not speak, or in any way disturb her, as on her 


CHVM TI-KUKG 


246 

condition when she wakes the doctor places great im- 
portance. Go up at once.^^ And Chun did as he was 
told. 

Poor Nellie! The nightmare horror of her position, 
and the helplessness of it, when she had grasped the 
meaning of the Chinawoman’s tirade and her hus- 
band’s cruel deceit, had acted on her already overtaxed 
strength, and quite upset her mind, so that after she 
fainted nothing hut the ravings of feverish delirum had 
come from her lips. 

The doctor, after examining his patient, had imme- 
diately condemned her long and beautiful hair, and, 
with Mrs. Fulford’s assistance, it had been glosely 
cropped, and ice in a towel bound round her head. 
After the operation Nellie had fallen into a troubled 
sleep; and her pulse was so unsatisfactory that, as has 
already been told, the doctor had thought it only right 
to give Chun an opportunity of once more seeing her 
in case the sleep should merge into death. 

Chun, when he first caught sight of her fever-worn 
face, made more than ever ghastly by the white band- 
age, thought for a moment that Mrs. Fulford had de- 
cehed him, and that Nellie had passed the bourne. 
The doctor had been on the watch, and caught him 
quickly by the arm, and said, “ There is still hope, hut 
you must he very quiet,” which enabled Chun to sup- 
press the outbreak of remorse that had threatened to 
master him. After a quarter of an hour in the room 
he appreciated his own uselessness, and the pitifulness 
of the whole position proved too much for his self- 
control, so he left. 

Mrs. Fulford met him as he came down smothering 


DEATH THE HELPER 


247 

his sobs — for it is a mistake to think that a Chinaman 
never breaks down at a crisis; sometimes their feelings 
find vent in sobs, sometimes in madness — and thought 
it right to tell him that she was glad he had repented 
of his wickedness, but that now it was his duty to rest 
and refresh himself so as to be fit and ready for any 
emergency, or in case Nellie should wake and call for 
him, as she had constantly done in her delirium. 

Chun could not, even in his distress, help feeling a 
vague sort of wonder at the want of respect and con- 
sideration that he, as possessor of the Hanlin degree, 
experienced in his own house; but without remark he 
retired to his study, where Mrs. Fulford had thought- 
fully installed the amah and baby to distract his 
thoughts. 

The baby crowed, and he took it in his arms from 
the amah in an over-cautious manner, but he could not 
help feeling a parental pride at the white-coloured, 
smooth-limbed little morsel, and showed no disa])- 
pointment when told it was a girl. 

After awhile he returned the child to the amah, 
and betook himself, as he had been told, to his room, 
and after changing his dusty clothes, thought quietly 
of the child being a girl, and came to the conclusion 
that after all, as he already had an heir, the girl would 
probably prove a more congenial companion to its 
mother — if only. . . 

Mrs. Fulford told her husband that if, on Nellie’s 
waking, she were better, and no complications beyond 
natural weakness showed themselves, they might leave 
Pa-li Kiao on the evening tide. She sent instructions 
to the boat lowdah to have everything in readiness, and 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


248 

then returned to the sick-room to relieve the doctor 
for awhile, and was dehghted to find Nellie still sleep- 
ing peacefully. 

The doctor was quite as anxious as Mrs. Fulford to 
make a cure of his case; he had learned Chun’s posi- 
tion before he left Mngpo, and, although an enthusiast 
in his profession, he could not overlook the advantages 
of the honorarium that he might reasonably expect 
should he prove successful. 

Nellie did not waken until about four in the after- 
noon; she seemed calm, and when for a few minutes 
her small daughter was laid by her side, she smiled 
and stroked her head. She appeared to understand 
what was said, and when Mrs. Fulford told her that 
her husband had arrived, and asked if she would see 
him, she nodded, though her eyes had a vacant look. 
When Chun came in she took his hand in hers, and 
did not show any repugnance when he kissed her; she 
did not seem to wish to speak. Mrs. Fulford could not 
but wonder at the apathy shown by Nellie about her 
position, and at her reception of Chun Ti-kung after 
she had been told of his disgraceful conduct. 

After she had consulted the doctor (forgetting that 
he was unaware of any complications in the situation), 
she took his verdict that he considered that immediate 
danger was over, that Nellie was in a fair way to 
recovery, and that for her to remain was not necessary, 
as with Chun, the amah, and himself, they could manage 
the nursing between them. Without misgivings, she 
packed her belongings, and left with her husband for 
the boat after she had kissed poor Nellie, who was 
apparently dozing. Chun saw the Fulfords off, and 


DEATH THE HELPER 


249 


later on the doctor and he dined together, while the 
amah was left in charge of the invalid. 

At about half-past nine the whole of the worn-out 
household retired to rest: the mutterings and grum- 
blings of a coming storm attracted no notice; Chun 
went to his study, the doctor to his chair at Nellie’s 
bedside; the amah and baby to sleep in the same 
room; and the servants to their quarters. They all 
slumbered and slept. 

The wind for some time had been blowing in harder 
and harder gusts from the north-west, bringing with it 
the mysterious sound of uplifting leaves that predicts 
the rain; the clouds were rolling and piling in boulder 
forms one above another; the lightning and thunder 
had gradually increased in strength, when for a second 
or two all nature seemed to pause, and the storm to 
hold its breath, till a flash of most vivid intensity 
joined almost simultaneously with thunder that seemed 
to shake the earth, brought the downpour of rain. 

Nellie awoke with the shock, and for the first time 
since she had fainted clearly realized what had hap- 
pened: her position, and that of her child; the terrible 
Chinese wife, and the mother who might tyrannize over 
her; her husband — she refused to think of him; one 
thing only was certain, she must get away. 

Suddenly (in some mysterious manner), Mrs. Ful- 
ford’s having only just left her became a reality, and a 
conviction seized upon her mind that if she could only 
get out of the house, she would be able to breathe, she 
would catch the Fulfords’ boat and escape — escape — 
escape! 

The rapid thoughts had come and fllled her mind 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


before the thunder-clap was over. A lamp was burning 
in the room, and she could see her little daughter lying 
quite detached from the amah on the opposite side of 
the room. With cautious movements and without 
waking one or the other she caught the child to her 
breast. A second flash of lightning revealed to her the 
doctor, who, in her confusion and the dazzling light, 
she mistook for her husband. As he moved in his 
sleep she, in an agony of fear, crouched in the shadow of 
the table, and then silently and as swiftly as her beating 
heart would allow her, stole down the staircase. The 
back-door was bolted, and rather than fumble she waited 
for the next flash of lightning; her child woke and 
began to scream, which added to her anxiety; but the 
torrents of rain drowned its feeble voice, and Chun Ti- 
kung, who was only separated from her by a wooden 
partition, slept soundly. She drew the bolt, passed 
through the yard, opened the bamboo gate that led to 
the tracking-path by the side of the now full and roar- 
ing mountain stream* stopped for perhaps a minute to 
regain breath, and to try and soothe her babe under the 
shelter of the hedge. 

She looks back at the house and can perceive no dis- 
turbance, so trying to wrap her child more securely in 
the flannel that she had unwittingly carried off with 
it, she turns to the slippery and uneven mud track that 
leads to the broader creek. Her own clothing is little 
more than a night-gown. The storm-wind when she 
steps from shelter is at her back, and so strong is it that 
it blows her down the narrow path, as though she had 
wings; sometimes she slips falls, but her conviction 
that all will be well if she can only battle through the 


DEATH THE HELPER 


251 


mile to the boat gives her a strength quite unnatural; 
the lightning as it shows her the path at intervals seems 
providential, and the thunder as it growls away further 
and further in the distance no longer attacks her tired- 
out nerves; the rain whips her mercilessly, and she 
cannot look hack. Bruised and drenched, stumbling 
and panting with exhaustion, but still driven by the 
wind, she reaches her destination, the high bank from 
which she had last seen Mrs. Fulford’s boat near San- 
kow, and then — a great despair seizes her — ^the boat is 
gone! 

What help is there now in earth or heaven? Alone 
in this unfriendly land, could she go back to the home 
that is no longer a home to her? Back to her shame, 
to the life she loathed, to her enemies, to the man who 
had betrayed her trust? No! no! rather death than 
such a life. 

With quiet deliberation she managed to tie her child 
to her bosom, and with a last great effort plunged into 
the foaming creek, and y^as soon carried to quieter 
waters, dead and at peace, both mother and babe. 


CHAPTER XII 


SOKROW AND EXILE 

From this time Chun Ti-kung dated the decline of 
his good fortune. Full of sorrow and remorse, he had 
scarcely buried the recovered bodies of his wife and 
child when he was hastily summoned to the bedside of 
his adopted father. He was only in time to hear the 
old man’s last kind words. 

The law of his country demanded that for three 
years after his father’s death Chun should live in retire- 
ment without taking up his official post. In this 
enforced quiet he felt acutely the loss of the two beings 
for whom he had cared most in the world. 

He wrote to Nellie’s father telling him of her death, 
and enclosed a letter from the young doctor to certify 
that she had been in an unsound state of mind at the 
time. Chun had no difficulty in procuring a divorce 
from his hated Chinese wife on the grounds of jealousy 
and insubordination. 

At the end of his legal mourning he entered with 
energy on his official work, and trying to enforce the 
reforms and upright conduct that he had learned to 
admire in his adopted father’s Yamen, he soon found 
himself at variance with fellow mandarins, who, already 
252 


SORROW AND EXILE 


253 


jealous of his fame and wealth, accused him of foreign 
proclivities. Some colour was given to their accusa- 
tions by Chun’s conduct during an anti-foreign riot that 
took place in his district, when he gave offence by his 
determined protection of missionaries and their prop- 
erty. This tendency was very unfavourably regarded 
by the viceroy of his province, a man who bitterly hated 
all foreigners, and Chun received in consequence open 
snubs and checks from his superiors. He had never 
been as free-handed with his money as the old Tao-tai, 
nor diplomatic enough to make friends at Court by 
lavishing gifts in the right quarters. The men working 
under Chun had often suffered from what they con- 
sidered his superciliousness, so that he now found 
himself in an isolated position, and shunned by his 
fellow-officials. 

Soon after this he was drawn into a quarrel by his 
next superior, and by the intrigues of his rivals made to 
appear in the wrong, and deprived of his official button. 
Smarting under the disgrace, Chun threw up his post 
and wished to withdraw from his ungrateful country. 
It was made very difficult for him to carry out this 
intention, and he was at last glad to escape^ with the 
loss of more than half of his large fortune, that re- 
mained in the greedy grasp of his legal and illegal 
persecutors. 

Taking his son Fei-ting, who was now fourteen years 
old, he exiled himself to Singapore, where he would no 
longer be subject to Chinese law, and where he found 
many wealthy fellow-countrymen. 

In a garden brilliant with tropical flowers, he has 
built himself a beautiful house that curves its blue- 


254 


CHUN TI-KUNG 


painted roof upward under high palm-trees and blazing 
southern skies. Here he lives at ease, occupying him- 
self with his hooks and writing, and with the education 
of his son; but he has not ceased to regret his fair 
young English wife, nor the fuller career in his native 
land that might still have been his if it had not been 
for his own folly. 


THE END. 







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